Since its debut in March 2007, M-PESA has redefined financial access in Kenya, turning mobile phones into wallets with a simple text. From a modest start of under 20,000 users in April 2007, it surged to over one million by November of that year. But rapid growth exposed a flaw: sending money to the wrong person was all too common. At its height, Safaricom fielded 12,000 daily calls for transaction reversals. Now, thanks to Hakikisha, that number has plummeted by 66.67% to just 4,000 per day.
Hakikisha, Swahili for “confirm,” empowers M-PESA users to double-check a recipient’s name before completing transfers — whether person-to-person, Lipa Na M-PESA payments, or agent withdrawals. Anita Kaunga, Product Manager for M-PESA Consumer Payments, calls it “one of the most impactful inventions” for customer payment journeys, crediting it for the dramatic drop in reversals. The feature tackles a once-tedious problem where users struggled to recover funds sent in error.
The road to Hakikisha’s success involved collaboration across Safaricom’s ecosystem — customers, call center teams, and tech experts all shaped its development. Early on, the feature faltered: users had to dial “1” within 15 seconds to cancel, a step many missed. “The call to action wasn’t clear,” Anita admitted. After feedback, the team simplified it to a “Yes” or “No” prompt, making it universally accessible.
Hakikisha’s utility extends beyond error prevention — some users exploit it to peek at others’ details. To safeguard privacy, Safaricom limits name checks to five daily attempts, enforcing a 48-hour lockout after excessive cancellations. “Security is a priority with every product,” said Virginia Wawira, Product Manager for M-PESA Go, emphasizing fraud protection.
Safaricom isn’t stopping there. The M-PESA team is eyeing artificial intelligence (AI) to supercharge Hakikisha. “We’re looking at AI to detect patterns and predict when you’re about to make a mistake,” Virginia explained. By analyzing vast transaction data — like frequent recipients — AI could warn users before errors occur, enhancing safety and convenience.
As M-PESA marks 18 years, Hakikisha underscores Safaricom’s drive to perfect its platform. The reduction in reversals — down from 12,000 to 4,000 daily — spares users frustration and eases pressure on support staff. With proactive research and cutting-edge tech, M-PESA continues to evolve, solidifying its place as Kenya’s mobile money titan.
