Meet the man who named his son SportPesa after winning bet

Many Kenyans have silently won millions from sports betting.

One such winner is Reagan Ojijo whose story cannot be told in just one line. It’s touching to say the least.

The 30-year old jua kali man who lives in Nairobi’s Dandora estate, has a house and a baby, thanks to SportPesa.

Straight from shags, Ojijo never landed a well-paying job in the city and with a wife on his side, life was really tough. He had to hustle in nearby construction sites in a bid to put food on the table every day.

Worst still, in 2016, they were expecting a baby without any savings in their account. Fortunately, SportPesa was already up and running. He decided to try his luck in betting.

When the baby was delivered, he had no money to settle the hospital bill. But he kept on placing bets in the hope of striking it lucky. And lucky he was. That’s how he finally managed to clear the hospital bill. In fact, he calls his son SportPesa.

“I’m one guy who is alive because of betting. As we speak, I have a one-year-old son whose name is SportPesa because were it not for SportPesa, I wouldn’t have managed to pay the hospital bill and take care of the baby,” he said.

Ojijo, continued betting until he saved enough money to build a house at their Rongo rural home. He won Sh20,000 four times in a row; money which was enough for him to erect a one-bedroom house in ushago.

“Age was catching up with me and I was a worried man since I didn’t have a house at home. Worst still, I had already married and having a house was a basic thing but my hustle was not earning me enough to build a house. But from SportPesa I once (in 2015) won Sh20,000 and immediately invested that in erecting a house at home. I can now say that I’m a happy man thanks to betting,” he said.

Ojijo has not stopped betting. Analysing football matches and making predictions has become a routine.

“Betting is now part of my life. I do other things, but always make sure to place a bet. Even my wife and friends know that,” he said.