Safaricom has announced a significant shift in how user data is handled on M-Pesa that will conceal the sender’s phone number during money transfer transactions.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said protecting customer information remains central to Safaricom’s operations as M-PESA continues to evolve.
“As M-Pesa turns 19 this month, we are reminded that the trust of our over 40 million M-PESA customers, who rely on this platform every day, is our greatest responsibility,” Ndegwa said.
“That trust is built not only on the reliability of M-PESA, but also on how well we protect the personal information of those who use it.”
Ndegwa said that the company had taken into account feedback from users who raised concerns about privacy when sending money through the service.
Sender’s limited details
Under the new update, recipients will only see limited details of the sender when money is transferred through M-Pesa. The change is designed to minimise exposure of personal information and respond to customer concerns about privacy.
“We have listened to customer concerns about privacy and are introducing a new enhancement that minimises the personal information shared while conducting Send Money transactions on M-Pesa. With this update, recipients will see limited details of the sender, helping to protect their privacy while ensuring transactions are completed seamlessly,” Ndegwa said.
Ndegwa further revealed that recipients who require the sender’s full details can request the information within 24 hours after the transaction.
Customer’s sharing approval
He added that the sender will then receive a prompt asking whether they approve of sharing their full name and mobile number.
“If the recipient needs the sender’s full details, they can request us for them within 24 hours of the transaction. The sender will receive a prompt asking whether they approve sharing their full details. If accepted, the recipient will receive the sender’s full name and mobile number via SMS. If declined, or if there is no response within 2 hours, the request will not go through,” Ndegwa noted.
Safaricom said the feature will be rolled out in phases to ensure the feature works smoothly while maintaining the safety and reliability of the platform.
“We will be launching this feature by the end of this month, and plan to roll this out to the rest of our entire M-Pesa ecosystem in subsequent phases, to ensure that our services continue to remain safe and secure for all our customers,” he said.
