KENYA · MOBILE MONEY
Key Facts
- The country Kenya is an East African nation where Safaricom, the biggest mobile operator, runs the M-Pesa wallet.
- What happened Safaricom’s terms archive an idle M-Pesa account after 90 days and keep the money for its owner.
- The next step Money archived for over two years goes to the state’s Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA).
- What it means for you A US visitor with a Kenyan SIM can lose easy access to unused M-Pesa money within months.
- Still open Safaricom has not disclosed how much archived M-Pesa money it holds today.
In Plain English
Safaricom is Kenya’s biggest mobile operator, and M-Pesa is its mobile wallet for holding, sending and spending money from a phone number. A recycled number is one that Safaricom resells to a new customer after an idle line is switched off and its account archived.
Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest mobile operator, archives an M-Pesa account after 90 days without use, and money that stays in the archive for more than two years must go to a state agency. The rule sits in clause 13.2 of the M-Pesa customer terms on Safaricom’s website, marked as updated on Wednesday 2 September 2026.
M-Pesa is the mobile wallet that millions of people across Kenya use to pay and send money from a phone, including visitors from the United States who register a SIM card. The rule matters now because Safaricom began returning old balances in July, and Sunday 1 November is UFAA’s deadline for holders to hand over unclaimed money.
The earlier Rio Times report on the July refunds cited six months of inactivity from press accounts. Safaricom’s own terms say 90 days, and they add the two-year handover to the state and the owner’s route to claim the money.
What Happened
By Friday 24 July, Safaricom had begun moving old M-Pesa balances to customers whose current lines carry the same identity document as an old line. Its customer-care account told one user that the money came from an old line registered under that user’s ID and later given to another customer.
That user received 25 Kenyan shillings, or KSh25 (about US$0.19 at the Central Bank of Kenya’s rate of KSh129.95 per US dollar on Friday 30 October), while other credits ran into thousands of shillings. The July credits fit Safaricom’s written terms, which say money in an archived account is availed to the owner once the owner gives notice of a new number.
How the Clock Runs
The terms set the trigger at 90 days of inactivity, or any other prescribed period, and Safaricom then suspends the account, archives it and recycles the phone number. Money held to the customer’s credit is not lost by either step, the terms say.
If funds stay archived for more than two years, or any other period set by law, Safaricom must submit them to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA), the Kenyan state body that holds unclaimed money for owners. The terms add that Safaricom will endeavour to notify the customer first and is not liable afterwards.
Where the Money Goes and How to Claim It
UFAA’s compliance notice gives 1 November as the deadline for holders to report and surrender unclaimed financial assets, which is a Sunday in 2026. The notice says that failure to do so carries a penalty of 25% of the assets held.
UFAA says it has mobilised KSh40.7 billion (about US$313 million) in cash over the past decade. It has paid KSh2.84 billion (about US$21.9 million) to 39,203 claimants, according to its press release of Wednesday 25 February 2026.
Money that has passed to UFAA must be claimed from UFAA, which asks for Form 4A commissioned by a lawyer, an indemnity form and a letter from the holder confirming the handover. It also asks for a lawyer-certified ID or passport copy, a Kenyan tax PIN certificate and a statement in the claimant’s name.
UFAA’s Find Assets portal is the place to search, and its questions line is 020 4023000. Its services are also offered at Huduma Centres, the government’s walk-in service offices.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the rule matters most to travellers, students and aid workers who register a Kenyan line with a passport and later leave the country. After 90 days of inactivity the account can be archived and its number recycled.
For investors, M-Pesa is the core of Safaricom, in which Vodacom, the South African mobile group controlled by Britain’s Vodafone, bought a 15% state stake that a Kenyan court voided in September. Vodafone’s American depositary receipts trade on Nasdaq, and the report on the Safaricom stake appeal explains the court fight.
Anyone who once held a Kenyan line can ask Safaricom customer care to check the old line for archived money. Since July, Safaricom has matched balances to customers who hold a current line under the same identity document, and the guide to SIM cards for foreigners in Kenya explains how to register one.
What Is Not Known
Safaricom has not disclosed how much money sits in archived M-Pesa accounts today or how many customers have been repaid since July. No public statement on the refunds by the Communications Authority, Kenya‘s telecoms regulator, or by the Central Bank of Kenya has been located.
The terms page was updated on 2 September 2026, and it is not clear whether the 90-day trigger is new or older. It is also unknown when Safaricom will next hand archived money to UFAA, although UFAA’s deadline for holders is Sunday 1 November.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before Safaricom archives an inactive M-Pesa account?
Safaricom’s M-Pesa terms say an account is suspended when its SIM has been inactive for 90 days, or any other prescribed period. The account is then archived and the phone number can be recycled.
Is money in an archived M-Pesa account lost?
No, the terms say money held to a customer’s credit is not lost by archiving or by recycling the number. After more than two years in the archive, Safaricom must submit it to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority.
How do I claim M-Pesa money from the state agency?
Search for the money on UFAA’s Find Assets portal, then file Form 4A commissioned by a lawyer with the supporting documents. UFAA lists the telephone line 020 4023000 and the USSD code *361# for questions.
When is the deadline to hand unclaimed money to the state?
UFAA’s compliance notice gives 1 November as the deadline for holders to report and surrender unclaimed assets, a Sunday in 2026. Safaricom has not said when it will make its next transfer.
Sources: Safaricom, M-PESA Customer Terms and Conditions, clause 13.2, page updated 2 September 2026; Safaricom, M-PESA Customer Terms and Conditions (PDF), 2026 edition; Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, claiming instructions, opened 30 October 2026; Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, compliance notice, opened 30 October 2026; Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, press release, 25 February 2026; Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, home page, opened 30 October 2026; Central Bank of Kenya, daily exchange rates, 30 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error