Safaricom has announced that its mobile money platform, M-PESA, will be temporarily unavailable on Monday, September 22, 2025, as the company carries out a major system upgrade.
According to the statement, all M-PESA services will go offline between 12:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.. During this period, customers will not be able to send or receive money, pay bills, buy airtime, or complete any transactions on the platform.
The upgrade, which Safaricom has described as its most significant since 2015, will introduce a new core platform dubbed Fintech 2.0. The system is expected to improve M-PESA’s resilience, speed, and ability to process a much higher volume of transactions as demand for mobile money services continues to grow.
Safaricom Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Peter Ndegwa, explained that the improvements are part of the company’s broader strategy to strengthen financial services for millions of Kenyans who rely on M-PESA every day. He acknowledged the temporary inconvenience but stressed that the upgrade will deliver long-term benefits.
“We understand that M-PESA is at the heart of daily life for many Kenyans. This upgrade is designed to make the service more reliable, more secure, and ready for future growth,” Dr. Ndegwa said.
The company urged customers to complete any urgent transactions ahead of the scheduled maintenance. It also apologised for any disruption caused, noting that the timing was deliberately chosen at night to minimise the impact on users.
Since its launch in 2007, M-PESA has become the backbone of Kenya’s digital economy, facilitating millions of transactions daily, from personal transfers to business payments. The upgrade is expected to position the service for even greater efficiency and innovation in the coming years.
Image courtesy of Business Daily
