Kenya Power tokens on M-Pesa are not working. Since 6pm customers have been experiencing issues ranging from failed transactions to no response after payment.
M-Pesa Users are getting failed transactions
Customers trying to buy tokens on M-Pesa are getting the following error messages:
“Transaction failed, M-PESA cannot complete payment of Ksh50.00 to KPLC PREPAID. Try again later.”
But not all are getting error messages; some are not getting any response after payment.
Kenya Power Confirms
In a public notice KPLC confirmed:
“We are working on a glitch that is causing delays in token vending. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Alternative Payment Option
In the meantime KPLC has advised customers to use its USSD platform to get tokens. Customers can access it by:
- Dial *977#
- Select 1: Prepaid Services (Token)
- Select 2: Latest Token
- Select meter or add new meter.
USSD challenges:
- USSD is not free and costs KES 10.
- Users are reporting delays or errors when getting tokens via this method.
The Kenya Power mobile app is also not working. Users are getting error messages and can’t access their accounts.
Working Options
For now customers can use other payment platforms that are working:
- Equitel
- Airtel Money (currently has zero transaction fees for KPLC payments)
- Co-op Bank
- KCB Bank
These are working and are a temporary solution for the affected customers.
Customer Experience and Frustration
Not being able to buy tokens is causing a lot of inconvenience especially since electricity is an essential service. Many customers rely on M-Pesa for its convenience and wide reach, so this is a big disruption.
With KPLC’s other platforms also not working, it’s clear we need more reliable systems to support digital payments for critical services like electricity.
What’s happening next?
KPLC has not given a timeline to fix the issue but customers are advised to use alternative payment platforms meantime. We will get updates from Kenya Power and Safaricom as they work to restore services.
As the situation unfolds, this incident highlights the importance of redundancy in payment systems for essential services to avoid such disruptions in the future.