Kenyans who rely heavily on M-Pesa for their day-to-day transactions have been cautioned to prepare for a temporary disruption of services as Safaricom carries out a scheduled system upgrade.
According to a statement released by the telecommunications giant, the maintenance exercise will take place on Monday, September 22, 2025, between 12:30 AM and 3:30 AM. During this three-hour window, all M-Pesa services, including money transfers, withdrawals, deposits, and airtime purchases, will be unavailable.
Safaricom explained that the upgrade is aimed at enhancing the safety, stability, and reliability of the M-Pesa platform, which has become the backbone of Kenya’s digital economy. Millions of Kenyans use M-Pesa daily not only to send money to friends and family, but also to pay bills, buy goods, and access mobile loans.
This will be the second scheduled upgrade in 2025. Earlier in March, the company briefly suspended services for around 30 minutes as part of a similar exercise. While such disruptions may cause inconvenience, Safaricom emphasized that they are necessary to ensure smooth operations and protect customers from possible system vulnerabilities.
The timing of the maintenance has been carefully selected. By scheduling it in the early hours of the morning, Safaricom hopes to minimize the impact on customers who depend on M-Pesa for personal and business transactions. Nonetheless, Kenyans are being urged to plan ahead by purchasing airtime and completing urgent money transfers before the downtime.
Safaricom has also issued an apology to its customers, noting that while the disruption may be inconvenient, the long-term benefits of a more secure and reliable system outweigh the short interruption.
For ordinary Kenyans, M-Pesa is more than just a mobile wallet—it is a lifeline that powers small businesses, sustains families, and supports Kenya’s thriving cashless economy. Any downtime is therefore felt widely across the country. Still, the proactive communication from Safaricom has been welcomed, as it allows customers to make prior arrangements and avoid unnecessary frustration.
As Kenya continues to lead the way in mobile money innovation globally, periodic system upgrades will remain a vital part of ensuring that the platform keeps up with growing demand and evolving technology.
