SAFARICOM ANNOUNCES PLANNED MPESA DOWNTIME FOR SYSTEM UPGRADE

Safaricom PLC has announced a scheduled three-hour M-Pesa service disruption due to system maintenance. In a notice shared on X on Friday, September 19, 2025, the telco said the blackout will take place on Monday, September 22, 2025, between 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. The upgrade, Safaricom explained, is aimed at enhancing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of its financial services.

The company emphasized that the maintenance has been deliberately scheduled during late-night hours to minimize inconvenience to customers. “Dear Customer, for 18 years, M-PESA has transformed lives by connecting Kenyans to opportunities every day. To maintain our promise of providing safe, secure, and worry-free financial services, we will be carrying out a planned system upgrade on Monday, September 22, 2025, from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. During this time, all M-PESA services, including airtime purchases, will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your continued support,” the statement read.

For three hours, Kenyans will not be able to use M-Pesa for transactions such as sending or receiving money, buying airtime, paying bills, withdrawing cash, or accessing M-Pesa-linked bank services. Because the outage falls in the early morning hours, most customers are unlikely to be significantly affected. The move also underscores M-Pesa’s importance in Kenya’s economy, where millions rely on it daily for both personal and business transactions.

Safaricom has carried out similar upgrades in recent years as part of its growth and modernization strategy amid increasing competition in the mobile money space. The telco has advised customers to plan their transactions in advance to avoid disruption during the maintenance period.