Food kiosk owner gets Sh30 million windfall from Angukia Chapaa

Lucy Karanja was preparing food for the lunch-time crowd at her restaurant in Maai Mahiu, Nakuru county, when she got the call that would change her life forever. Unfortunately, her phone’s battery went flat mid-way, before the caller had fully conveyed his message.

Minutes after she had charged the phone, she got another call from the same number. Dr King’ori, from ‘Angukia Chapaa na 29009’ competition, was on the other end of the line.

He told Ms Karanja that she was the grand winner of the final draw of the competition. She had just won Sh30 million.

CHEQUE

The restaurateur did not believe the news until she saw the official announcement on NTV just before the evening news. She was at the restaurant with her customers when she heard her phone number being read out on television. They did not believe that she could be the one until they heard her recorded voice from the earlier conversation.

Ms Karanja was accompanied by her husband, Peter Kimani, and her brother, Geoffery Wanjihia, to Nation Centre, Nairobi, to collect her cheque. The beaming millionaire could hardly express her joy as she sat on the giant white chair holding the dummy cheque. Her husband was by her side. Mr Kimani was clearly elated by the news and could hardly speak about it.

He playfully posed for photographs with his wife. “I am very happy to have such a lucky sibling,” Mr Wanjihia said, his sister’s handbag carefully clutched in his hands.

SCHOOL FEES

Ms Karanja said: “I will spend some of the money to take my children to school. They are grown, but I would like them to continue with their education.

In fact, I liked this competition because they would ask you questions that helped you learn something new each time you played”. Ms Karanja also intends to expand her business, buy land and give back 10 per cent to the church.

‘Angukia Chapaa’ is a Nation Media Group promotion that sought to reward NTV viewers. The competition would interact with users by asking questions relating partially to programming and general knowledge through SMS.

Players could opt in or out of the competition whenever they wanted and had to be 18 years and above.

The prizes ranged from hourly wins of Sh5,800, daily prizes of Sh75,000, weekly draws of Sh1 million and monthly winners of Sh5 million.