“Safaricom Makes Landmark Move: Ceases Unregistered M-Pesa Transactions Starting February 5, 2024. Urgent Deadline for Voucher Redemption by February 13th.”

“Safaricom, as the pioneer telecom to implement such a directive in the nation, has announced the end of unregistered mobile money transactions via M-Pesa. Effective February 5, 2024, users won’t be able to send money to unregistered accounts. This decision extends to unregistered Mobile Money users on platforms like Airtel Money and T-Kash.

Previously, unregistered users received SMS vouchers redeemable within 7 days at an M-PESA Agent. This redemption system is now obsolete. Transactions to unregistered users post this directive will result in failure, accompanied by a notification of the user’s unregistered status on any mobile money platform.

While unregistered users are now locked out, those with unredeemed vouchers are urged to act swiftly: “Redeem it at any Mpesa Agent by 13th February 2024,” warns Safaricom. After this date, vouchers expire, denying access to the funds.

Safaricom’s move aligns with industry regulations enforced by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), focusing on the 2015 Kenya Information and Communications (Registration of SIM cards) Regulations. These regulations mandate mobile operators to collect and update subscriber details, leading to a 2021 SIM card registration exercise.

CA’s actions were prompted by the misuse of unregistered SIM cards for illegal activities, a possible factor influencing Safaricom’s decision. Notably, M-Pesa fraud has plagued Kenya, with scammers tricking users into sending money through calls or fake social media accounts. Unregistered M-Pesa users pose challenges in tracing such fraudulent activities.

Safaricom emphasizes the user experience improvement by eliminating the voucher system, addressing confusion and inconvenience caused by expiring vouchers and redemption difficulties. Additionally, the company asserts that this move enhances security.”