For years, mothers carried cash tucked safely under shawls, teachers rode for miles on boda bodas, and farmers walked dusty paths just to reach the nearest financial service point.
In the heart of Elgeyo Marakwet, these daily trips were part of life. Today, those same transactions happen in seconds in the palm of your hand.
For Prime Time Sacco, digital innovation has transformed the lives of members by restoring time and dignity.
Formerly known as Keiyo Teachers Sacco, the organisation has grown from humble beginnings to a thriving financial institution now serving over 6,000 members.
Initially, established to support teachers, Prime Time Sacco has since broadened its membership base to include farmers, civil servants, and small business owners.
“Thanks to some regulatory changes and a growing demand for inclusive financial services, today we serve members from all walks of life,” said Nahashon Kimutai Tanui, CEO of Prime Time Sacco.
With its headquarters in Iten and branches in Chepkorio and Biretwo, connectivity and physical access had always posed a challenge.
Members had to endure rough terrain and long distances just to deposit or withdraw funds.
That began to change when the Sacco embraced Safaricom’s digital solutions.
“Imagine someone travelling from deep in the hills just to make a deposit. Now, with M-PESA and M-Banking, they do it from the comfort of their homes,” Tanui said.
Through M-PESA integration and mobile connectivity solutions provided by Safaricom Business, Prime Time Sacco has improved its operational efficiency, and long queues are now a thing of the past.
Security risks associated with cash handling have also reduced.
Loan repayments, withdrawals and even debt recovery are now fully digitised, which saves time and has safeguarded both members and staff.
During a recent Safaricom Business training forum, Tanui and his team were introduced to new technologies reshaping the financial sector.
“Artificial Intelligence stood out for us. we saw how it’s already transforming customer service and fraud detection in finance.”
Cybersecurity was another key theme, and the team learnt about the growing threat of cyberattacks as well as how cloud backup solutions can protect sensitive data.
“One of the facilitators said, ‘When we sleep, hackers are awake.’ That stayed with me. It reminded us how vigilant we need to be,” Tanui added.
Cloud backup solutions and the Internet of Things (IoT) were also key takeaways, helping the Sacco future-proof its operations.
For Prime Time, digital transformation has improved operations and accelerated growth.
In the past year alone, the Sacco’s asset base grew from KSh934 million to KSh1.2 billion, and plans are underway to expand operations to Nairobi, bringing the same grassroots spirit to the city.
“Without Safaricom Business, we wouldn’t have bridged the gap between analogue and digital. The partnership has truly brought us far,” Tanui said.
