In April 2026, Safaricom’s digital ecosystem underwent its most radical transformation yet with the mandatory rollout of My OneApp. By merging M-PESA, MySafaricom, and Home Fibre into a single Super App, the telco aimed for ultimate convenience.
However, for many users, especially those trying to navigate the high-stakes world of Ziidi Trader or international PayPal transfers, the experience has been a masterclass in the dangers of mobile-only dependency.
The recent wave of glitches, login loops, and Number Not Found errors following the latest updates has sparked a clear demand from the public: Safaricom needs to decouple its core financial services from the handset and launch a robust, PayPal-style web portal.
For investors on Ziidi Trader, Safaricom’s new platform for buying and selling shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), timing is everything. Unlike a standard bill payment, stock trading requires instant execution.
Following the mandatory update to My OneApp v5.15, reports have flooded social media of traders being locked out of their portfolios. When the app fails to recognize a SIM card or gets stuck in an authentication loop, the user isn’t just inconvenienced, they are financially paralyzed. In the fast-moving stock market, doing something later means missing the dip or failing to sell before a crash. A web portal would provide a vital second door, allowing traders to execute orders from their laptops when the mobile app falters.
Safaricom recently streamlined the PayPal-to-M-PESA process, moving it exclusively into a Mini App within the mobile environment. While intended to be secure, this has created a productivity bottleneck for the Gig Economy:
- Workflow Friction: Freelancers working on desktops must stop their work, find their phone, and pray the app opens just to move their earnings.
- The Single Point of Failure: If your phone’s battery dies, or if you lose your device, your bridge to international funds is severed. Unlike PayPal itself, which can be accessed from any browser in the world, Safaricom has effectively caged your money inside a single piece of hardware.
Safaricom’s recent public apology for My OneApp disruptions admitted that roaming customers and those on auto-updates were hit hardest. A web-based My OneApp dashboard would solve these systemic issues through:
- Redundancy: If the app update is buggy (as seen this week), users can simply log in via app.safaricom.co.ke to finish their trades or send money.
- Productivity: Managing Home Fibre, downloading PDF statements, and reconciling PayPal transfers is inherently easier on a large screen with a physical keyboard.
- Global Access: A web portal using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) via email would allow Kenyans abroad to manage their accounts without needing a physical Safaricom SIM to be active in a primary slot, a major pain point in the current v5.15 rollout.
Safaricom has successfully built a powerhouse engine in My OneApp, but it has neglected to build a backup ignition. The current App-Only architecture for Ziidi and PayPal services is a high-risk gamble that leaves users vulnerable to software bugs and hardware loss.
To truly fulfill its FinTech 2.0 vision, Safaricom must mirror the universal accessibility of PayPal. We need a secure, browser-based gateway that ensures that no matter what happens to our phones, our ability to trade, transfer, and connect remains uninterrupted. It is time to take M-PESA to the web.