Before Bonnie Kamau was unveiled as a jackpot winner on Wednesday, he was already tired of answering his phone.
“The phone rings endlessly until it is out of charge,” Kamau said.
“We had to change our numbers.”
It has been a week since Kamau won Sh424,660,618, the largest SportPesa Mega Jackpot in Kenya’s history.
For the first time since their win, Kamau and his wife, Veronica Wahu opened up about their lives before and after the moment that changed everything.
“We are not poor. I grew up in Nakuru. I have no more than five friends. I am a calm person and live my own life,” Kamau said.
“We are two in the family. I’m the firstborn and my sister is second born. I am not a very social person. I am aged between 45 and 50 years.”
He said his education and early work life were rooted in Njoro.
“I studied in Njoro, both primary and high school. I work in the transport industry. I met my wife as she was travelling to Maralal.”
Aside from transport, his other occupation has always been more than a side interest.
“I love farming. Apart from being in the transport industry, I go to the farm in my free time.”
He added that farming and family business are closely tied.
“Now, actually, most of the products my wife sells in our cereals business come from our farm. She runs the business because I work in a transport job, which I have now quit.”
Kamau spoke of his inspiration.
“There’s a white farmer called [Carl] Tundo in Njoro. His field is wide, until you cannot see the end. I wished one day I would be there.”
His pride in fatherhood was clear.
“As a parent, my children never lack anything. God has always been on my side. I don’t even pay half of my school fees late.”
When he finally won the jackpot, his reaction surprised many.
“When I won, I slept soundly past 6 am. I was not overwhelmed.”
Wahu recollected her upbringing, which began far from Nakuru.
“I am in my mid-40s. I was born and grew up in Samburu county, in Maralal, in a family of eight siblings. I’m the sixth born of the eight,” she said.
“I grew up in a good life and we were not poor. At that time, there were no poor rich divisions. Our parents took us all to school and we completed primary and high school there. I came to college in Nakuru and met my husband there.”
She said their paths crossed through his work.
“The transport company my husband worked for was the only matatu company going to Maralal so we met there.”
She described the balance of personalities in their marriage.
“Of the two of us I’m the extrovert and he’s the introvert. So I handle visitors and also clients in business.”
Her own career path changed recently.
“I was in the corporate financial sector for 15 years but I quit in 2022 to go into the cereals business. This is the fourth year running that business,” she said, adding that the venture has been doing well.
Wahu explained why they had not built a home.
“As a couple, that has been one of our dreams. We have grown up and wanted to live in a very nice family home. That is why we were not even in a hurry to build. We have not built a house.”
She added that Kamau often spoke of building a unique home.
“He had money to build a modest house but he told me to be patient. We live in a rental house in Nakuru. We have never lived in Nairobi,” Wahu said.
“My husband usually tells me ‘I want to build a house that even if you were a fly you would miss your house’. He has been telling me that for years. I want to build a house that even if you were to go outside you would miss your house.”
She remembers the night of the win vividly.
“When the winnings were announced I didn’t sleep. I was already telling him, ‘Wake up we go for mass’ at 5 am.”
But as the mass starts at 6.40 am, Kamau slept on.
Wahu said despite being together for 19 years, that morning brought a surprising reflection.
“I was playing that video in my mind that my life and my children’s have changed. Like even this house, we are not going to live here anymore.”
Her mind turned to the changes ahead.
“You know, like anything that I ever wanted, I will get. I was just amazed… I used to ask God, of millions of people who bet, why he chose to bring this miracle to my house.”
For Wahu, the win was the answer to many prayers.
“I have been praying for financial breakthroughs. So for me, I was just amazed at the mercy of God to choose this humble family of mine. You know we were just living a normal humble life every day.”
The couple plan to take a vacation at an undisclosed location, before deciding what to do with their money.
