Kenya Power has issued an urgent alert to customers ahead of a scheduled M-PESA system upgrade that will temporarily disrupt electricity token purchases and postpaid bill payments.
The upgrade, announced by Safaricom, will take place in the early morning of Monday, September 22, 2025 (Sunday night), between 12:30AM and 3:30AM.
During this three-hour window, Kenya Power’s Paybill numbers — 888880 for token purchase and 888888 for postpaid bills — will be unavailable.
To avoid blackouts and last-minute panic, Kenya Power, in a statement issued on Saturday, September 20, 2025, has urged customers to buy electricity tokens in advance before the scheduled maintenance.
“Safaricom has announced a planned M-PESA system upgrade in the early morning of Monday, 22nd September 2025 (Sunday night), which will affect M-PESA services between 12:30 AM and 3:30 AM. During this period, Kenya Power Paybill numbers, including 888880 for token purchase and 888888 for postpaid bill payments, will not be available,” the Kenya Power notice read in part.
Kenya Power Alternative Payment Channels
Customers who need to purchase tokens or settle bills during the downtime can use the following options:
- Airtel Money
- DTB Bank
- NCBA Bank
- Family Bank
- Co-operative Bank
- KCB Bank
- I&M Bank
- National Bank of Kenya
- Equity Bank
These services can be accessed through the banks’ USSD codes or smartphone apps.
Kenya Power emphasized that the maintenance is temporary and payments will resume on M-PESA immediately after the upgrade is completed.
“Customers can continue to buy tokens and pay bills through alternative channels such as Airtel Money, DTB Bank, NCBA Bank, Family Bank, Co-operative Bank, KCB, I&M Bank, National Bank of Kenya, and Equity Bank via their USSD codes or smartphone apps. We also encourage you to purchase your electricity tokens in advance before the scheduled maintenance to avoid any inconvenience,” the utility company said in its statement.
The announcement comes as part of ongoing system improvements by Safaricom to enhance the reliability and efficiency of M-PESA, Kenya’s leading mobile money platform.
