A Moment That Made History
May 2017 will forever be etched in the annals of Kenyan betting history as the month when three ordinary Kenyans woke up as instant millionaires. Daniel Rono, Geoffrey Keitany, and Florence Machogu became the second-ever winners of the SportPesa Mega Jackpot, sharing a staggering KSh 111,176,374. Each walked away with KSh 37,058,791, marking a life-changing moment that captured the imagination of the entire nation.
What made their victory particularly remarkable was that all three had independently predicted the outcomes of 17 football matches correctly—a feat that required both knowledge and luck in equal measure.
Meet the Winners
Florence Machogu: Breaking Barriers at 60
Florence Machogu, a 60-year-old primary school teacher and mother of six, became an instant inspiration to Kenyans across the country. Her win was particularly significant as she became the oldest woman and only the third woman overall to win the lucrative jackpot at that time.
As an educator who had dedicated her life to shaping young minds, Machogu’s win resonated deeply with working-class Kenyans who dreamed of financial breakthrough. Her story proved that opportunities could come at any age, and she quickly became a celebrated figure, particularly inspiring women in the betting space who had traditionally been a minority.
Geoffrey Keitany: The GSU Officer’s Dream Come True
Geoffrey Keitany, a General Service Unit (GSU) officer based in Baringo County, represented the thousands of security personnel who serve the nation while harboring dreams of a better life. His win came as a validation of patience and persistence, showing that even those in uniform could catch their big break.
Keitany’s victory was especially meaningful given the challenges faced by security officers, who often work in difficult conditions for modest pay. His windfall offered him the chance to secure his family’s future and perhaps pursue opportunities that would have otherwise remained out of reach.
Daniel Rono: A Name Synonymous with Luck
While less public information is available about Daniel Rono compared to his co-winners, his inclusion in this historic trio cemented his place in Kenyan betting folklore. Like Machogu and Keitany, Rono demonstrated the knowledge and analytical skills needed to correctly predict all 17 matches.
The Presentation Ceremony
On May 30, 2017, the three winners were presented with their dummy cheques for KSh 37 million each at a ceremony in Nairobi. The event drew significant media attention as Kenyans celebrated the remarkable coincidence of three people simultaneously cracking the jackpot code.
The ceremony, captured in photographs that circulated widely on social media, showed the winners beaming with joy, holding their oversized cheques—a visual representation of dreams fulfilled and lives transformed overnight.
Understanding the SportPesa Mega Jackpot
The win came just one month after Samuel Abisai had become the first-ever Mega Jackpot winner in April 2017, taking home KSh 221,301,602. The Mega Jackpot format required participants to correctly predict the outcomes of 17 football matches, with the prize pool starting at KSh 10 million and growing with each rollover.
The fact that three people simultaneously won in only the second-ever jackpot payout highlighted both the growing popularity of sports betting in Kenya and the element of unpredictability that makes such competitions thrilling.
Impact and Legacy
The joint win by Rono, Keitany, and Machogu demonstrated several important realities about sports betting in Kenya:
Accessibility: The winners came from different backgrounds—a teacher, a security officer, and a regular bettor—showing that anyone with knowledge and a small stake could potentially win big.
Age is Just a Number: Machogu’s win at 60 challenged stereotypes about who could participate in and win at sports betting, opening the door for more diverse participation.
Regional Representation: With Keitany based in Baringo County, the win showed that jackpot success wasn’t limited to Nairobi residents, encouraging participation from across the country.
Inspiration: Their story inspired countless Kenyans to try their luck, contributing to the rapid growth of sports betting in the country in subsequent years.
Where They Stand in History
The trio’s KSh 111 million win remains the second-ever SportPesa Mega Jackpot payout. It was followed by Gordon Ogada’s record-breaking KSh 230,742,881 win in February 2018 and Cosmas Korir’s KSh 208,733,619 in September 2018. Years later, in August 2025, Bonnie Kamau would make history with the biggest-ever win of KSh 424,660,618.
While their individual payouts of KSh 37 million were smaller than what single winners would receive, the shared victory created a unique story that continues to be remembered as a special moment in Kenyan betting history.
Lessons from the Triple Win
The story of Rono, Keitany, and Machogu offers several insights:
- Knowledge Matters: All three winners had to demonstrate football knowledge to correctly predict 17 match outcomes.
- Timing is Everything: Their win came at a time when the Mega Jackpot was still new, with perhaps less competition than in later years.
- Life Can Change Instantly: Each winner’s KSh 37 million represented a dramatic transformation in financial circumstances, proving that fortunes can indeed change overnight.
- Shared Success: While they had to split the prize, each person still received a life-changing amount, showing that sometimes shared success is still tremendous success.
Conclusion
Eight years later, the story of Daniel Rono, Geoffrey Keitany, and Florence Machogu remains an inspiring chapter in Kenya’s betting narrative. Their joint victory in May 2017 represented possibility, hope, and the transformative power of that rare combination of knowledge, timing, and luck.
For Machogu, the 60-year-old teacher who shattered age and gender barriers; for Keitany, the GSU officer who proved that dreams aren’t limited by uniform; and for Rono, whose name joined theirs in history—their shared KSh 111 million jackpot win stands as a testament to the unpredictable nature of fortune and the enduring appeal of dreams realized.
Their story continues to inspire a new generation of bettors who hope that, perhaps, lightning might strike them just as it struck three Kenyans simultaneously on that fateful day in May 2017.
