Cosmas Korir: County Speaker Who Won Ksh208 Million With Ksh100

Cosmas Korir, the man who won a Ksh208 million mega-jackpot in 2018, is the new Speaker for the Bomet County Assembly.

Korir on Wednesday, September 21 floored 10 candidates who had contested in the race to be elected the 4th Speaker of Bomet County.

He garnered 32 votes against his closest competitor and former Kipsonoi ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) Weldon Kirui who came second with 6 votes. He also defeated his predecessor, Nelson Mutai.

Cosmas told the MCAs that he would provide participatory and consultative leadership in his capacity as the County Speaker.

New Bomet County Assembly Speaker, Cosmas Korir. /TWITTER

He will be deputised by Rotich Leonard Kipkoech, who won the contest against four others.

“I will work with all the members from across the political divide. I will ensure that your welfare is well taken care of,” Cosmas said in his acceptance speech.

Korir also pledged to unite members of the county assembly and ensure they play their oversight role on the executive and take development in the county to the next level.

He burst into the national limelight in September 2018 after he won an astonishing Ksh208,733,619 in a mega jackpot organised by a betting firm. He did so after using just Ksh100 to place a bet on 17 games, predicting all of them correctly.

The 36-year-old was driving to West Pokot when he got a phone call that confirmed that he was the mega-jackpot winner.

“The caller on the line announced to me that I was the mega jackpot winner. I stopped my car to digest the information I had been given.

"Initially as we placed our bets, we promised each other to share the price money.  I will still do the same to my friends who assisted me in selection of teams,” he said in an interview with the Nation.

After he won the jackpot, he spent Ksh12 million on a Toyota Landcruiser V8 and Ksh2 million to complete the construction of his house in his rural area. It had stalled when he ran out of cash and had repaid a loan of Ksh3.5 million he had borrowed to build the house.

Korir then purchased two residential apartment buildings for Ksh50 million and Ksh60 million which he earns a rental income of Kshh400,000 and Ksh500,000 per month. He also bought a hotel for his wife and is constructing one for himself.

Persuaded with all manner of investment advice from friends and well-wishers, he decided to lock Ksh130 million in a fixed savings account so that he could decide what else to do with the money under a sober mind as this was a rare occurrence to him.

Apart from personal investments, Korir was also engaged in community projects including the acquisition of hospital equipment in dispensaries in Bomet and nurturing grassroots football talent.

Korir previously contested the parliamentary seat in 2017 in Bomet County’s Konoin constituency on the Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) ticket but lost to Yegon, who is now serving a second consecutive term.

He now boasts of a plush position which is fiercely contested because it comes with its lucrative powers and perks, given that this is the third most powerful position in a County.

Inside the Nairobi County Assembly. /CAPITAL GROUP

He is now entitled to a basic monthly salary of Ksh259,875, according to the Salaries and Renumeration Commission (SRC).

He also has a Kshs20 million mortgage that allows him to build a decent home and also a car loan of Ksh4 million.

Additionally, the county speaker is provided with utilities that include house attendants, fuel and commuter allowance, perks that are applicable to county speakers in all 47 counties.