Safaricom has officially wrapped up its nationwide Shangwe @25 promotion, leaving a trail of transformed lives and community hope in its wake. The campaign reached its grand finale with the unveiling of the last five winners of KES 1 million each, bringing the total count of new millionaires created during the anniversary celebration to twenty-five.
The final group of winners represents the diverse heartbeat of the country. Among those celebrated at the closing ceremony were Quinter Akinyi Wanyama from Bungoma, Sheila Cherotich from Bomet, Fidel Mwendwa from Kitui, Geoffrey Mawira from Meru, and Grace Nyiva from Uthiru, Nairobi. These individuals now join a select group of Kenyans whose financial trajectories have been permanently altered.
The impact of the promotion goes far beyond individual bank accounts. In a thoughtful twist, each millionaire also received an additional KES 250,000 specifically earmarked for a community project of their choice. This ensures that the celebration of Safaricom’s 25 years in business leaves a lasting footprint in neighborhoods across the nation.
Peter Ndegwa, the CEO of Safaricom, expressed his pride in the campaign’s success, noting that over five million customers walked away with various prizes worth a total of KES 250 million. He emphasized that the initiative was a way of saying thank you to the people who have been part of the company’s journey since its inception.
The stories of the winners are deeply moving. Take Grace Nyiva, a 23-year-old single mother from Uthiru who works as a cleaner and sells sausages to make ends meet. For her, the win is nothing short of a miracle that will allow her to put her daughter through school and start a cereal business for her mother. Similarly, Fidel Mwendwa, a 25-year-old mechanic from Kitui who grew up as an orphan, plans to use his winnings to open his own workshop. In a touching tribute to his roots, he is directing his community fund to a local children’s home.
In Meru, Geoffrey Mawira, a cobbler living with a disability, plans to use his million to buy shoe-making machinery that will specifically create jobs for others in the disabled community. Meanwhile, in Webuye, Quinter Akinyi Wanyama will be upgrading the welding shop she runs with her husband and securing her children’s university education. Sheila Cherotich of Bomet is also focusing on family, with plans to build a house for her mother and launch a new retail business.
Beyond the individual millionaires, Reports found that the promotion also extended a helping hand to the business community. Six enterprise customers, including Snaap Kenya Limited and EBee Mobility, were awarded stock valued at KES 250,000 to boost their operations. Other entrepreneurs received Tuk-Tuk pickups to help manage their logistics more efficiently.
What began in October 2025 as a celebration of a corporate milestone has ended as a powerful demonstration of how business success can be shared. From cash prizes and electronics to livestock and shopping vouchers, the Shangwe @25 campaign has truly lived up to its name, bringing “shangwe” or joy to millions of doorsteps.
