Safaricom customers have reported disruptions with Fuliza, the telco’s popular mobile money overdraft facility, after noticing that outstanding balances were not being automatically deducted when funds were deposited into their M-Pesa accounts.
The anomaly, widely shared on social media on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, sparked humorous reactions from users who joked that Fuliza had “forgotten to chew their dues.” Ordinarily, the service automatically recovers pending amounts once a customer’s account is credited.
In response, Safaricom acknowledged the issue:
“Hello Timothy, Sorry, we are experiencing a technical issue with the Fuliza Service; our team is working on resolving the same. Sorry for the inconvenience caused,” the company said in a customer support reply.
The telco has not disclosed the scale of the disruption or provided a timeline for resolution but assured customers that its technical team is actively working to restore normal services.
Fuliza’s Growing Role in Kenya’s Economy
Since its launch in 2019, Fuliza has become one of Kenya’s most widely used mobile money overdraft products, enabling millions of users to complete transactions even when short of funds.
Safaricom has also expanded its credit solutions to businesses. On May 21, 2025, the company introduced Fuliza Biashara and Taasi Till, providing micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with access to short-term credit.
- Fuliza Biashara: Overdrafts from Ksh1,000 to Ksh400,000 for Lipa na M-PESA merchants.
- Taasi Till: Short-term loans ranging from Ksh1,500 to Ksh250,000.
- Taasi Pochi: Credit solutions for Pochi la Biashara users, between Ksh1,000 and Ksh250,000.
Safaricom CEO, Dr. Peter Ndegwa, noted that these innovations are designed to strengthen MSMEs, which remain the backbone of Kenya’s economy.
As the telco works to resolve the current Fuliza hitch, the incident underscores the growing reliance of both individuals and businesses on digital financial tools to manage day-to-day transactions.
