Mobile money has become the cornerstone of daily life in Kenya.
From sending school fees and paying fares, to running businesses in sleepy, remote villages and bustling urban centres, mobile money is a lifeline for many and a means to access financial services.
Behind these transactions are the unsung heroes you meet in kiosks and shops – the M-PESA agents.
They are the human engine of the M-PESA network, keeping everything running and ensuring the success of mobile money transactions.
Recently, Safaricom, through the M-Pesa Agent Awards, celebrated the agents and their businesses for their role in driving financial inclusion.
“Our agents are the bedrock of what M-PESA has been in transforming lives, in bringing M-PESA close to our customers every day,” said Dr Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom, during the awards ceremony.
The event, which was part of the M-PESA @18 festivities, brought together over 200 agents from across the Nairobi Metropolitan area to celebrate their contributions to the M-PESA network.
“I want to thank our customers, the 36 million of our customers who call M-PESA home, for being with us for 18 years along the way. But most importantly, we have impacted customers and society’s lives,” said Dr Ndegwa.
M-PESA continues to lead with a 90 percent market share. The platform has 36 million customers in Kenya. Its widespread agent network, seamless integration, and reputation for reliability have made it the go-to payment option for many Kenyans.
These are some of their stories.
The Man Behind 170 Jobs: Mohammed Ibrahim’s M-PESA Impact
For Mohammed Ibrahim, life as an M-PESA agent has also been a journey of resilience, mentorship, and community impact, culminating in his recognition as the overall winner at the MPESA Agents Awards, Nairobi edition.
“Being selected tonight makes me very happy. It’s a journey that started from nowhere, and today, I’ve seen the fruit of that work,” he said.
Mohammed’s connection with Safaricom goes back even further.
“Before I became an agent, I worked for Safaricom as a trade development representative (TDR) in 2007. I resigned in 2010, and in 2011 I acquired my own agency. What started as a small M-PESA outlet has now grown into one of the largest agencies in the country,” he explained.
One of his proudest milestones is seeing agents he once trained thrive on their own. “Those I interviewed back then were under my umbrella. Today, many have their own agencies. I feel I’ve helped take people from nowhere to somewhere.”
The growth of M-PESA itself has been remarkable. Mohammed says the existing outlets remain strong enough to sustain growth.
Beyond business, he measures success through community impact. “I’ve employed many people—women, recent graduates, and young professionals. Across the M-PESA agency ecosystem and dealership, I have about 170 staff members.”
The road hasn’t been without challenges.
Fraud and theft remain real threats. Still, Mohammed dedicates time to mentoring new agents, offering training, advice, and hands-on problem-solving whenever they need it.
“What keeps me going is my experience in this field. I know how to run the business, and I can see the path forward,” he said.
His message to Safaricom is simple: “Keep it up. Let this recognition be a start, not the end, so agents can feel part of the Safaricom family.”
Christopher Kariuki Njeri and Susan Wamuiru: Building a family business with M-PESA
As an M-PESA agent, Christopher Kariuki Njeri has likely heard these two questions countless times over the past 14 years. Naweza Ku-withdraw? Or Naweza Ku- deposit? These questions are music to his ears because they have contributed to the growth of his business and financial inclusion in the country.
His business, Savotech Agencies, was founded in 2011, an event he attributes to chance.
At the time, his wife had left employment after taking a break to go on maternity leave, but since it was a contract job, she did not return.
“So initially, we were looking for anything for her to do, and that is how we found an M-PESA shop. M-PESA was new in the market, and the guy offered to sell the shop to us,” he says.
The first shop generated a good income for Christopher and his wife; therefore, they decided to open another. Within the first year, they had five M-PESA shops, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Susan Wamuiru, his wife, says that working as M-PESA agents has been quite profitable for their family, earning good commissions. Through their M-PESA venture, they have able to pay for their children’s fees and purchase their family home.
But Christopher and Susan are ambitious people; they didn’t want to be merely M-PESA agents, they aspired for Savotech Agency to become an M-PESA agent head office. They quickly hopped online, googled how to become a Safaricom dealer and applied. In 2013, they got the contract.
Since then, Savotech Agencies Limited has issued Till Numbers nationwide, with 60 per cent in Nairobi and its surrounding areas.
“This job provided employment for my spouse, who was unemployed. We worked very hard and reinvested all our income into the business, and eventually it became a reliable source of income that supports our lives. We have many shops and employees, all benefiting from it. I can confidently say we now have enough to save for the future,” he says.
Grateful for their success, Christopher founded the Chris Njeri Foundation to give back to the community. The foundation supports more than 20 high school students in Nyeri County. This year, the foundation will have its first student joining college. Having come from a humble background and dropping out of school due to a lack of school fees, this is his way of giving back to the community that also lent its helping hand to him when he needed it the most.
“We started our small shop in Nyamakima. Over the years, the business has continued growing. There are moments when we almost lost hope, but we kept pushing,” Susan recalls.
And for any young person looking to venture into the same line of business: “Be hopeful, focused, and patient. Reinvest to grow your business. Business does not grow overnight. It takes time. It needs a lot of hard work.”
Being an M-PESA agent involves significant security risks, and Susan and Christopher have fallen victim to robbers.
“We have been attacked by robbers with guns; there was also a day our shop was broken into, but God restored our business,” she says.
In the future, Susan and Christopher hope to become M-PESA super agents and further expand their business.
“I want to thank Safaricom for bringing M-PESA; through this service, many people have been able to open businesses, and many people have gotten employment. God bless,” she said.
Daniel Njuguna: The electrician who sparked a thriving M-PESA business
Daniel Njuguna’s journey with M-PESA started out of curiosity, overcame adversity, and has since grown beyond his wildest dreams.
As an electrician by trade, he would always wonder why his employer paid his employees only through M-PESA. His inquisitive mind led him to ask M-PESA agents questions as he withdrew his pay. That was how he learnt about the possibility of earning commissions.
Njuguna would later, together with his wife, start a general shop at Nyamakima in downtown Nairobi. The shop provided the platform for him to start being an M-PESA agent in 2011.
Despite initial concerns about insecurity and struggling with low commissions, Njuguna and his wife motivated each other to persevere, and they have since reaped the benefits.
“We had put all our money into the M-PESA business, and early on, we would be tempted to re-invest the money elsewhere. However, we kept going, adding float, and then the commissions increased. The M-PESA business started paying for the shop, it started paying me and my wife, and it has covered school fees for our children. It has done big things for us as a family. As we gained more customers, I even had to take out a bank loan to further expand the business. God has really blessed us,” a proud Njuguna explained.
From his humble beginnings, Njuguna, who says his profits have grown 40 times in the past 14 years, now has an additional shop in Nyamakima and another one in Kasarani.
His self-drive is evident: “My ambition is to grow from being just an M-PESA agent to being an M-PESA super-agent. I want to open as many shops as possible. My advice to anyone starting an M-PESA business is to be strong, push on and for sure it will change your life.”
Margaret Nyambura: The agent behind 40 agents
Margaret Nyambura has been an M-PESA agent in Karen since 2012 after spotting an opportunity to provide much-needed M-PESA services in her locality as she sold charcoal and hay.
She has since evolved from being a regular agent to being an admin who manages 40 M-PESA agents.
Growth in her M-PESA business, coupled with her business acumen, has enabled her to start a company with 15 employees that specialises in selling cars and lawn mowers.
“I have grown step by step, and I can liken my M-PESA journey to Luke 2:52, ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man, ‘” explained Nyambura.
She added, “I am grateful for being awarded at the M-PESA Agents Award ceremony. I never thought that I would reach the level of being awarded. I am grateful to Safaricom.”
In future, Nyambura hopes to add more agents so that she can continue to empower young people.
“A long journey starts with one step. I always advise young people just to start and then see how the business unfolds. Anytime I see a young person at a strategic location, I push them towards starting an M-PESA business, at times even availing the starting capital,” said Nyambura.
