Safaricom's 30 millionth subscriber gets lifeline

Dressed in brown official shoes, a black T-shirt, and a brown pair of trousers, 18-year-old Dennis Muthii Karere takes majestic steps towards the VIP tent at Safaricom House.

He just stepped out of a limousine today morning ready for a new chapter in his life. This is his second trip to Nairobi.

The young man is all smiles and wears a too good to be true face in the company of his two elder sisters and Safaricom's chief customer officer, Sylvia Mulinge.

His journey to this newfound fame began last week after making an ordinary visit to Kerugoya town.

A resident of Kimunyi village in Kirinyaga county, the young dreamer purchased his first SIM card from a Safaricom dealer, unbeknownst to him that it would turn around his life's fortunes.

After a successful subscription, systems from the telco identified him as the 30 millionth subscriber, 18 years after Safaricom launched in the market.

Armed with a new Sim card, and a basic phone in a critical condition, he loaded it with Sh50 airtime ready to connect to the world. Off he went home.

For the last two months, he has been working as a carpenter before transitioning to a mechanic a week ago, joining his brother’s garage in Embu town.

Fast forward to today morning, the telco chose to change his fortunes, marking an end to what Nelson Mandela would describe as a long walk to freedom.  

The telco has awarded him with a two-year scholarship to a tune of Sh300,000 to fund his tuition and upkeep for a technical course in mechanical engineering.

In addition to the tuition funding, Karere has also received a mechanic toolkit, a year’s worth of All in One bundle at Sh10,000 per month, Sh10,000 worth of airtime per month for a year, and Samsung Galaxy Note 9.

The device is worth between Sh65,000 to Sh98,000 depending on the internal space size.

Kareri plans to use the device, airtime, and tuition support to advance his career in mechanical engineering.