Meet Gikomba metal artisan who has joined Nairobi’s coveted list of new home owners

James Njagi Waweru(Left) a 32-year-old Jua Kali metal artisan at the Gikomba Open Air Market is the first winner of an apartment in Maisha Ni M-PESA Tu Promotion by Safaricom the house is located in Kahawa West at Richland Pointe Apartments with him is Sitoyo Lopokoiyit(Right) Director Financial Services Safaricom. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]

James Njagi Waweru, 32, a Gikomba based artisan is the new entrant into the coveted list of home owners in Nairobi. This is after becoming the first winner of a Sh7.8 million house in Kahawa West suburb of Nairobi, courtesy of telco giant, Safaricom’s M-Pesa Tu promotion.

Njagi, a father of one will soon be moving from his Kayole Junction single room into the two bedroomed master ensuite house at the Housing Finance developed posh estate, the Richland Pointe (pictured extreme right). Njagi who says has never won anything in his life, is saying goodbye to Kayole Junction where he says, he has been sharing basic facilities with close to 100 other tenants.

“M-PESA is convenient in our jua kali trade as the service enables us to receive payments from customers and to make payments for our business supplies. My frequent usage has contributed to my earning of multiple entries in the ongoing promotion. However, it was quite a surprise when I received the call from Safaricom that I had won the apartment,” said Njagi. 

Njagi had transacted more than Sh15,000, which had accumulated in excess of 1,500 points, which is what landed him his win. In the company of his mother and siblings, he told Home & Away: “This is my first home. Above all, it is located in Nairobi where everyone is looking up to owning a home.”

The ongoing M-Pesa Tu promotion is awarding customers and agents who will participate seven apartments in addition to daily and weekly prizes all worth over Sh300 million.

“We began this promotion to reward our customers for their loyalty over the last 11 years and to recognise them for their contribution in making M-PESA most successful mobile money service in the world. Today’s winner reflects the service’s ambition of transforming the lives of our customers,” said Safaricom’s Director of Finance Sitoyo Lopokoiyit.

Over the next six weeks, Safaricom will reward an additional six houses to six lucky customers, in addition to daily and weekly cash prizes to agents and customers.