The first ever M-PESA Sokoni Festival was held at the Mombasa Sports Club in Mombasa County last weekend. It brought together businesses in a market-style setting to celebrate M-PESA @ 18, offered discounts to the customers that turned up.
There were discounts on devices, electronics, household items, beauty and fashion products, travel packages, and more.
“It has been an amazing week interacting with our customers in this region, as we appreciate them for walking with us for the last 18 years. We are extremely happy with the turnout, our customers have come out in large numbers with their families to shop and enjoy incredible offers on various products including smartphones, electronics, household items among others. They have also been treated to electrifying entertainment from our DJs and artists,” said Safaricom’s Chief Financial Services Officer, Esther Waititu.
The festival also saw customers win various prizes, including shopping vouchers, electronics and cash rewards through the popular game show M-PESA or the Box. Among the winners was Elizabeth Makokha from Changamwe, our grand finale winner who walked away with Ksh. 180,000.
“I am still in disbelief that I have won Ksh. 180,000. I didn’t expect to win, I just came here to celebrate 18 years of M-PESA and enjoy myself, as they had announced the event would be held here at Mombasa Sports Club today. I plan to use this money to expand and grow my shoe business which I run here in Mombasa,” said Elizabeth Makokha.
The two month campaign is part of the ongoing M-PESA at 18 celebrations, marking M-PESA’s transformative role in Kenya’s digital and financial landscape and the impact it has had on the lives of millions of Kenyans.
The campaign kicked off on Tuesday with several activities lined up throughout the week, including a caravan tour across major coastal towns and market activations.
Safire Connect, a forum that brought together like-minded individuals to exchange ideas on entrepreneurship, personal branding, community opportunities, and financial wellness, started the weeklong activities. The week also witnessed the launch of Wezesha Mama, a programme by the M-PESA Foundation that brought together women’s groups from the region for financial and digital literacy training, along with access to seed capital to help boost their business ventures.
Safaricom also hosted the Regional M-PESA Agents Awards to recognize and reward agent stores that have demonstrated exemplary performance over the past year.
There was also the Grow with Safaricom Business Forum which aimed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed to grow their businesses and overcome challenges. They include digitizing operations, limited market access, regulatory hurdles, brand development, and a lack of digital marketing expertise.
The M-PESA Sokoni Festival now heads to Nairobi, with the caravan tour set to run from Monday, 16th June 2025.