Safaricom, Kenya’s top telecom company, has made a change in its M-PESA service. Now, people can’t send money to friends who haven’t registered on M-PESA. This also affects those using Airtel Money and T-Kash.
According to a statement on Safaricom’s X account, users of M-PESA won’t be able to send or receive money to and from different mobile money providers like Airtel and T-Kash. Before this, M-PESA allowed sending money to unregistered Safaricom customers.
While the reason for this change wasn’t explained by M-PESA, some think it’s related to security. Unregistered SIM cards could be a way for money to move around without being traced.
In the past three years, the government has been trying to reduce M-PESA’s control in Kenya. In September 2023, there were 38.1 million mobile money subscriptions, with M-PESA leading at 96.5%, followed by Airtel Money at 3.4%, and T-Kash at 0.1%.
The Central Bank of Kenya suggested making mobile money work together, so people can use different services easily. But Airtel Money and T-Kash haven’t caught up, possibly because they have fewer places for people to get or put cash.
Recently, M-PESA has faced some problems with its service, leaving customers unhappy. However, Safaricom hasn’t been clear about why this is happening, which is different from their usual customer-friendly approach.
Walk through almost any home with more than one floor and you will pass through…
The world today moves at the speed of a swipe. From morning notifications to late-night…
In the middle of modern cities filled with glass, concrete, and constant motion, something quietly…
Government policies are not just distant decisions made in offices far away. They shape the…
Improving your lifestyle does not always require big changes. In fact, it’s the small, consistent…
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic idea found only in science fiction. In 2025,…