Safaricom PLC is celebrating. In a glossy public announcement, the telecommunications giant proudly declared that its newly launched unified platform, My OneApp, has crossed 4.7 million registered users. For the executives sitting in the corner offices at Safaricom House, this is a milestone for what they call their "FinTech 2.0 strategy."
But behind the celebratory corporate metrics lies a frustrating, systemic reality for millions of Kenyans on the ground; Safaricom is aggressively pushing a buggy, unstable digital environment, and they are preparing to completely kill the only tools that actually work.
The telco has confirmed plans to phase out the standalone M-PESA and MySafaricom applications entirely, plastering warning banners inside the legacy apps to force a mass migration. This isn’t a natural adoption; it is a forced eviction from stable digital platforms into an ecosystem that remains, by many accounts, a disaster zone.
The Broken Promise of "Convenience"
Unveiled in April 2026, My OneApp was marketed as the ultimate "Super App", an AI-powered digital ecosystem combining financial transactions, mobile data management, and lifestyle features into one sleek home screen.
Instead, the rollout has been characterized by technical failure. From initial launch glitches that completely locked out the Kenyan diaspora to persistent authentication loops, the platform has felt less like a polished product and more like an unfinished beta test. While Safaricom issued a rare public apology in mid-April and later patched the app to stop frequent logouts on Wi-Fi or rival networks, the core experience for everyday users remains plagued by bugs.
For Kenyans, M-PESA is not just a "feature" on a phone. It is critical national infrastructure. It pays school fees, covers medical emergencies, and runs millions of small businesses. When a banking or telecommunications app crashes, life in Kenya halts.
Voices from the Ground - The Cost of Corporate Rushing
The sheer depth of consumer frustration can be seen across social media platforms, where the public’s verdict on My OneApp stands in stark contrast to Safaricom's PR triumphs:
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Wiping out user data, losing saved Paybill numbers, failing to recognize SIM cards, and freezing mid-transaction aren't minor "hiccups", they are critical failures. Locking users out of their money because of an unstable update is an unacceptable violation of customer trust.
When "Security" Becomes a Barrier
Safaricom defends its aggressive changes under the banner of enhanced security. The app heavily ties account access to the physical SIM card inside the phone to prevent social engineering fraud. While fraud prevention is necessary, the execution has effectively penalized innocent users.
Why must a user who had a perfectly functioning, lightweight standalone M-PESA app be forced onto a bloated, 171 MB platform that frequently fails to authenticate their device? Why should business owners lose their curated directory of supplier Paybills and customer details in the name of an upgrade?
The Verdict - Stop Using Kenyans as Free Beta Testers
Safaricom enjoys a near-monopoly on mobile money in Kenya. With that dominance comes a profound responsibility to the public. Celebrating 4.7 million users when a massive portion of those signups were forced by aggressive pop-ups and the threat of phasing out older apps is disingenuous.
If Safaricom wants to retire the legacy M-PESA and MySafaricom apps, they must earn that transition by delivering a flawless product first. The public should not be used as free beta testers for a corporate tech experiment.
Until My OneApp can guarantee 100% stability, zero data loss, and seamless authentication, Safaricom must immediately pause its plans to kill the legacy apps. The Kenyan people deserve tools that work, not corporate ultimatums.