Samuel Abisai reveals why sudden wealth forced him to flee Kenya after winning Sh221 million

Samuel Abisai, who won Sh221 million SportPesa jackpot in 2017, has opened up about the turmoil that followed his life-changing win.

The windfall, he said, brought not only opportunity, but overwhelming pressure that ultimately pushed him out of the country.

At the time, he lived modestly in a single-bedroom house in Umoja and when the historic call came through from SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri, everything changed.

Hours later, Sh221 million had been deposited into his account, a sum that would send shockwaves through his life.

Sensing that the news would spread instantly, he phoned his sister at Thika Road Mall and asked if he could hide at her place. His instincts proved right.

 Within hours, crowds gathered outside his Umoja house, refusing to leave until they got “something small”.

Back home in Kakamega, extended relatives poured into his parents’ compound, some pitching camp for days with lists of financial requests.

Speaking during an interview with the Iko Nini Podcast, Abisai revealed that sudden wealth came with pressure

People he barely knew turned up with school-fee pleas, business proposals, and emotional declarations of kinship.

Saying “no” became a dangerous luxury. Friendships crumbled, relatives grew resentful, and accusations of pride and stinginess followed him everywhere.

“At some point, I genuinely wished I had never won the money,” he admitted.

The chaos eventually drove him to flee to the Netherlands, where he stayed with a long-time mentor.

 It was there, away from the noise, that he learnt how to handle sudden wealth, set emotional boundaries, and build a long-term financial plan.

The month-long retreat, he says, saved both his sanity and his fortune.

When he returned, he opted for a quieter life. He bought an apartment in Lavington, later renting it out, secured a home for himself, and gifted his old Umoja house, complete with furniture, to a close friend.