The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) on Monday, January 22, acknowledged a system hitch that affected prepaid customers using M-Pesa to buy tokens.
In a statement, Kenya Power said a technical glitch had occurred and hence the difficulties experienced by customers seeking to buy tokens.
The utility company assured that its team was working to resolve the issue and hoped to reach a breakthrough soon to allow resumption of seamless purchase.
Meanwhile, Kenya Power advised customers to use alternative means of payment including Equitel, Airtel Money, and the Kenya Commercial Bank.
“The responsible team is working to resolve the technical glitch and we expect to resume as soon as possible,” Kenya Power wrote in a statement on Monday evening.
“Customers are advised to use alternative vending channels including Quitel, Airtel Money, and KCB Bank.”
Kenya power affected by Safaricom’s paybill hitch
The KPLC statement came minutes after Safaricom acknowledged service interruption for customers using M-Pesa paybill to make payments.
In the statement, Safaricom said some transactions were not completed leaving customers of the money transfer system stranded.
However, the telco company confirmed that the hitch had been resolved and that it would continue monitoring the paybill service.
“The technical issue has since been resolved and we continue to monitor the service,” Safaricom said in a statement after hours of complaints from customers.
Safaricom deals with affected customers
In accounts shared on social media, Kenyans affected by the disruptions of M-Pesa paybill shared their experiences detailing the inconveniences they endured.
Also Read: Govt Announces When Cost of KPLC Tokens Will Drop
An X user named Hezboinare said he had to leave his car at a garage after the paybill system failed to complete his transaction for services.
“This evening, I have been forced to leave my car at Chloride HQ coz of the battery. I paid via Paybill but it didn’t reflect on their side,” the user said in a post replying to Safaricom.
Another user named Waithaka Gakere then shared his experience about one week ago when he tried to complete a transaction of Ksh500 to the Kiambu County Government.
According to him, the first attempt failed and responded with the “not sent’ notification and forced him to try for the second time which was successful.
Minutes later, however, a message informing him that the first attempt had been completed arrived.
The issue of double transactions was raised by several other users, with customers explaining that initial transactions failed but they received messages notifying them that all transactions had been processed.
Also Read: M-PESA Services Back, Safaricom Apologizes
“Transactions are being deducted twice. The first one gives you an error. Not completed, only for the other one to go through, plus the other one you initiated when the first was declined,” an X user named Lucy Muthoni stated.
In its response to complaints of double transactions, Safaricom said; “our apologies for the inconveniences caused. We are aware of the technical hitch affecting some M-PESA transactions and we are working on resolving it as soon as possible.”
