Safaricom Explains Why Some Customers Have Received Money from M-Pesa Archive

Safaricom has explained why some customers have recently received unexpected M-Pesa payments labelled as funds from M-Pesa Archived Funds, ending speculation that the transactions were promotional giveaways or system errors.

The clarification came after an X (formerly Twitter) user identified as MORGAN (@BlessedMorgaan) questioned the mobile service provider after noticing customers receiving money through the M-Pesa platform.

Sharing a screenshot of an M-Pesa confirmation message, the customer sought to understand what was happening.

The screenshot showed an M-Pesa message reading: “Confirmed. You have received Ksh 25.00 from your old inactive number through M-PESA Archived Funds on 23/07/2026 at 00:36:09. Your new M-PESA balance is Ksh 25.00.”

Although the customer referenced seeing another person receive Ksh 2,500, the shared message reflected a refund of Ksh 25.

Customer Seeks ExplanationOpening the conversation, Morgan asked Safaricom directly:”Good morning /Evening/night @Safaricom_Care @SafaricomPLC what’s the meaning of this. Earlier on I saw someone receiving 2500. What’s really happening?”

The reply from Safaricom Care stated that the cash was sent to the customer from an old mobile line which was no longer operational.

“Hi @BlessedMorgaan, this is the cash sent to you from an old line registered to you but you stopped using the line,” Safaricom replied.

This meant that the funds were attached to the old mobile phone number that the customer owned, which had since been returned back to him.

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Questions Pertaining to Abandoned Phone Lines

Following the response by Safaricom, the customer was interested to know if the refund was an indication that the old phone line was going to be blocked.

“Meaning the line will be locked?” Morgan asked.

It was clarified by Safaricom that getting the refund did not have anything to do with locking the old line; rather, it was just a process related to inactive lines that have been recycled and re-used.

“Hi @BlessedMorgaan, not really. That is money that was in one of your old lines under your ID that was recycled/sold to another customer and we are now refunding you that amount,” Safaricom responded.

The company explained that the refunded amount represented money that had remained in an old M-Pesa account linked to a customer’s inactive line before the number was recycled for use by another subscriber.

How the Archive Refunds Work

Safaricom’s explanation suggests that when a customer abandons a line registered under their identification documents, any remaining eligible M-Pesa funds may later be returned if the inactive number is eventually recycled and allocated to another customer.

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The clarification comes after social media users questioned the sudden appearance of M-Pesa Archive payments, with some assuming the transfers were bonuses or promotional rewards.

Screenshots circulating online showed different customers receiving varying amounts, prompting widespread curiosity.

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A photo collage of screenshots of Safaricom responding to one of their users following a refund from their old line which was inactive. PHOTO/ File