Owning a brand new smartphone isn’t always a smooth adventure, especially in this era of six-digit flagship devices from the likes of Samsung and Apple. Luckily for many Kenyan’s there are a ton of credit facilities out there that have teamed up with various outlets to enable consumers get a device and pay up in installments. Such facility is “Beba Sasa Lipa Pole Pole” which is facilitated by Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and Safaricom retail shops.

What “Beba Sasa Lipa Pole Pole” translated to “carry now, pay in installments” basically does is to allow customers with less or inadequate cash to buy their preferred smartphones, tablets or any device of their liking from any Safaricom outlets and pay in 6 monthly installments at 0 percentage interest through a KCB credit card.

Devices currently on offer from Beba Sasa Lipa Pole Pole credit facility;

How to Purchase a phone from Safaricom using “Beba Sasa Lipa Pole Pole” Credit facility

• First, you’ll need to choose your phones from the above list
• Download the application form or get one from any Safaricom shop
• Fill the form, scan and send to [email protected]
• You’ll then have to wait for the Kenya Commercial Bank to review your application and advise on the approval status
• You are required to carry your national identity card and your KCB credit card for identification purpose
• If approval is granted, you will collect the device/s purchased from any Safaricom shop.

There’s a good chance at some point you might be forced to check your credit reference bureau status for personal reasons i.e just to make sure you’re not blacklisted, or when seeking services that require clearance of the same. Now the above two reasons fall within “normal” circumstances; but what if you’ve been targeted by fraudsters who register SIM cards using someone else details and take loans with their names? it’s a scenario that most of us would easily choose to ignore, but let’s face it – many Kenyans have so far fallen victim of these scams.

Technology advancements in the mobile loan applications have so far revolutionized the sector; nowadays, it takes minutes to apply and get approved for a loan using a mobile phone – which is a good thing. But at the same time, fraudsters have exploited this simplicity to steal other people’s identities by applying for such short term loans using their credentials without consent.

Identity theft

A few years back, identity theft was unimaginable within the country, there was no good reason for fraudsters to steal your identity; however, things have changed tremendously ever since. Today, personal details landing in the wrong person can be such a horror, there are numerous financial services someone could undertake without having to visit a banking hall for example. It’s unfortunate how so many organizations have embraced technology by moving important services online with less regard to the possibility of privacy invasion and safety of such data.

Most Kenyans have at some point been required to provide Identification details such as ID/Passport number as well as mobile phone number whether making an MPESA transaction or to access a certain office. These details could very well be used to apply for a loan and so forth.

Credit reference bureaus play a very important role in identifying loan defaulters – as a security measure to financial institution; however, most of us do not know how to check whether they’re in the clear or not. The process is fairly straight forward and none of us need to wait until they’ve been denied a loan to learn that some institution blacklisted them.

Three main Credit reference bureaus in Kenya;

• TransUnion (CRB Africa)
• Metropol Corporation
• CreditInfo  

How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with TransUnion via a text message

• To start off, you’ll need to register with the bureau by sending your full names to 21272.
• You’ll incur text message charges of Ksh.19
• Enter your ID no then choose Credit Status
• You’ll receive your CRB status. If you receive ‘good’, it means you are not blacklisted but ‘default’ means you are blacklisted.

How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with Metropol via a text message

• You’ll need to pay a registration fee of sh.50 through the paybill number 220388
•  Enter your ID number as the account number.
• You’ll receive a text message with a unique pin, a reference number and a special link
• Dial *433# and put your PIN and you will receive your CRB status.

How to check your Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) status with CreditInfo via a text message

• Currently CreditInfo does not have a text based method
• To check your status on CreditInfo, you will need to fill their request form online.

Family bank has finally joined other local banks that offer salary advance facility to salaried customers via mobile phones. Kenyans have become accustomed to ever blooming loan apps as well as USSD methods used request for short term loans right on their mobile phones. Take for example the now popular KCB-MPESA facility as well as Co-op bank’s MCo-op cash that utilize mobile phone technology in facilitating borrowers with quick short term loans.

The salary advance facility from Family bank enables salaried customers to borrow up to 50 percent of their salaries using the PesaPap App. Family bank’s salary advance facility allows borrowers to get cash that’s payable at the end of the month with a one-off deduction of Sh300 or 10 percent commission on, whichever that is higher.

Competition in the Kenya’s banking sector has grown to cut-throat levels with most lenders resorting to technology in allowing customers access to their loan facilities. Just a few months back, Co-op bank had introduced the need to have employed individuals from only institutions listed in their database borrow via the MCo-op cash facility; however, the lender seemed to have rescinded the development after most customers resorted to alternatives thereby denying it income.

According to Family Bank’s Chief operating officer Mr. Godfrey Kamau, borrowers will be able to apply for salary advance at any time right on their mobile phones and have their accounts credited with the same.

He also acknowledged that the lenders focus was to drive convenience through their self-service channels that give customers access to funds in case of an emergency and unforeseen situations through immediate access of the cash.

The development follows the lender’s in digital platforms that enable customers access banking services on their mobile phones. This comes at a time when most Kenyans have access to mobile phones that can send or receive money through various mobile based wallets such as Mpesa.

How to apply and get salary advance from Family Bank

There are various methods that Family bank has availed for those who need to access the lender’s salary advance facility – through the PesaPap App or ATM machines across the country.

• First you need to meet some basic conditions such as having your salary processed through the bank
• Download the PesaPap app from respective app stores; play store for google and app store for iOS
• Complete registration and follow the prompts
• Repayment period is 45 days
• Once the salary advance request is approved, the amount is immediately available in the account
• You can access a new loan immediately the outstanding advance is settled
• PesaPap services can also be utilized via USSD Code: *325#

SWVL shuttle buses have been operational in several parts of the city on beta test for months until the service was officially launched and introduced to more routes within the Nairobi city. The idea behind SWVL matatus is to revolutionize the public transport sector with efficient and reliable means of transportation that only requires commuters to book via the official app and wait for their rides to arrive at designated bus stops at a pre-specified time.

In comparison to online taxis such as little cab and Uber, SWVL buses are way affordable and several commuters can book the same bus provided there’s available seats. Buses are designated to be at specific pick-up point at a particular time and commuters are expected to be at these pick-up station prior to the bus’s arrival.

While officially launching the service across Nairobi, SWVL co-founder and CEO, Mostafa Kandil acknowledged the need for a stable solution to perennial traffic snarl ups here in Kenya and hoped that SWVL would be a formidable solution. He also added that SWVL would be of great benefit to the local consumer and the transport sector as a whole. “We are very excited to provide a solution that makes the lives of Kenyans easier whilst proving beneficial to the Kenyan transport sector,” he added.

Besides the additional funding the firm was injecting in the Kenyan market, Mostafa announced additional routes for the service, stretching beyond the initial four routes that were operational since entering the Kenyan market. Ever since, SWVL has increased routes covered by its services to fifty-five routes. They are now due to add more routes to cover more areas in Nairobi, as well as begin operations outside the capital city.

SWVL General Manager for Kenya Shivachi Muleji also pointed out the potential for growth and value creation in the country was tremendous and given the different entities providing varied solutions, he believes SWVL would fill a gap that has yet to be sufficiently covered by what is already available.

how to book and ride with SWVL matatu buses using your mobile phone

• First, you’ll need to have a data enabled smartphone either running on android or an iPhone
• If you’re using an iPhone, make sure you have iOS 9.0 or above installed while those with android devices need to have version 4.4 or later
• Download the app from app store for iPhone and play store for android
• Once the app has been installed, open the app and input required details
• To book, choose your preferred pick-up point followed your drop-off point then time
• You’ll be presented with the map of your route and proceed
• Then you’ll see the amount to be paid and on the right side, you can select the number of seats you intent to book
• Confirm by tapping on “Book”
• You’ll see a confirmation with driver details and a boarding pass number
• After you’ve successfully booked, you may cancel within four hours without incurring additional charges.