How to Buy Kenya Power (KPLC) Prepaid Tokens via M-PESA

How to Buy Kenya Power (KPLC) Prepaid Tokens via M-PESA

Kenya Power (KPLC) M-Pesa paybill number for Postpaid bill payments is 888880. 

Kenya Power owns and operates most of the electricity transmission and distribution system in Kenya and sells electricity to over 6,761,090 million by end of June 2018.

The Procedure for buying your KPLC tokens via M-Pesa are as follows -:

  1. Go to Safaricom SIM Tool Kit, select M-PESA menu, select “Lipa na M-PESA“
  2. Select “Pay Bill“
  3. Select “Enter Business no.“, Enter KPLC’s Lipa na M-PESA PayBill Number 888880 and press “OK”
  4. Select “Enter Account no.“, Enter your KPLC Prepaid Meter Number (e.g. 0100 xxxx xxxx x) press “OK”
  5. “Enter Amount“, between KSh100 and 35,000 and press “OK”
  6. Enter your M-PESA PIN and press “OK”
  7. Confirm all the details are correct and press “OK”
  8. M-PESA HAKIKISHA, You will get a notification with the intended recipient’s name e.g. “Pay Kenya Power KSh1,000.00 for Account 0100 xxxx xxxx x Press 1 within 20 seconds to STOP this transaction.” To stop a wrong transaction, Enter “1” and press Send within 20 seconds. Pressing “Cancel” will complete the transaction.
  9. You will receive a confirmation SMS from M-PESA.
  10. KPLC will then generate prepaid token valid for your meter and send via SMS.

Call the Contact Centre hotline numbers 95551 or 0703070707 or 0732170170 for service-related enquiries.

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How to Pay Kenya Power (KPLC) Postpaid Bill via M-PESA

Paying your Postpaid Electricity Bill with M-Pesa (Safaricom)

Kenya Power (KPLC) M-Pesa paybill number for Postpaid bill payments is 888888. 

Kenya Power owns and operates most of the electricity transmission and distribution system in Kenya and sells electricity to over 6,761,090 million by end of June 2018.

The Procedure for paying your KPLC postpaid bill via M-Pesa are as follows -:

  1. Select “Pay Bill” from the M-Pesa menu.
  2. Enter the Kenya Power business number 888 888.
  3. Enter your new Kenya Power account number e.g. 123456.
  4. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between Shs. 100 and  Shs.35,000.
  5. Enter your M-Pesa PIN.
  6. Confirm that all details are correct.
  7. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

Call the Contact Centre hotline numbers 95551 or 0703070707 or 0732170170 for service-related enquiries.

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Kenya’s 2018 PAYE Income Tax Band

2018 PAYE Income Tax Band in Kenya

The Finance Act 2017 amended the Third Schedule to the Income Tax Act by introducing revised individual tax rates. The revised rates have, when compared to the 2017 rates, brought about an expansion of approximately 10% in the tax bands and increased relief from KES 15,360 per annum to KES 16,896 per annum.

The 2018 rates are effective starting 1st January 2018. It is expected that the expansion of the tax bands coupled with the increase in relief will have an effect of lowering the tax burden for employees therefore increasing the net pay

​Taxable IncomeTax Rate
KSh0 – KSh147,58010%
KSh147,581 – KSh286,62315%
KSh286,624 – KSh425,66620%
KSh425,667 – KSh564,70925%
KSh564,710 and Above30%
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Safaricom, Paypal Collaborate to allow Transfer of Funds to and from M-pesa

How to use PayPal Mobile Money Service with M-PESA

The new service will allow Kenyans to sell and buy globally by linking their PayPal and M-PESA accounts

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM), PayPal and TransferTo have today announced a collaboration on a new service that will allow movement of funds between M-PESA and PayPal accounts, a huge boost to international eCommerce.

Qualifying M-PESA customers in Kenya can link their PayPal accounts to their M-PESA wallets, enabling them to easily and securely buy goods and services from merchants around the globe.

In addition, M-PESA customers can still receive and withdraw money from more than 140,000 agents across the country.

Similarly, the new service will give Kenyan merchants the opportunity to boost their reach and grow their business internationally.

“M-PESA’s collaboration with PayPal will open up global market places and the global economy to millions of Kenyans and Kenyan-based businesses. Beyond money transfers, this development ushers in a new era of speed and convenience beyond borders, as we work towards innovating robust platforms through which more entrepreneurs and consumers can benefit from the growing eCommerce industry”, said Joseph Ogutu, Director – Strategy, Safaricom.

To make online purchases, customers will be required to set up PayPal accounts, which they can top up in real-time using their M-PESA balances. Customers can then withdraw funds within a timespan of few hours to three days, depending on the transaction amount.

In addition to linking Kenyan businesses and shoppers to more than 18 million merchants around the world through PayPal, the new service will also allow local businesses to sell their goods and services to more than 210 million active PayPal users across the globe in up to 25 international currencies.

“PayPal’s collaboration with M-PESA is part of the company’s long-term strategy to enable e-commerce and democratise financial services on the African continent,” says Efi Dahan, PayPal General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, and Russia.

“We are excıted to brıng the M-PESA mobile wallet and PayPal joint services to the Kenyan market, which makes it more convenient and secure to withdraw and add money to their accounts while participating in the global digital economy,” said Dahan.

“We are proud to have been chosen by these two world-class payments providers to bridge the gap between the services offered in developed countries with those available in emerging markets – which is the cornerstone of TransferTo’s mission,” said Peter De Caluwe, CEO at TransferTo.

“This service is a major milestone in the evolution of cross-border mobile payments, in that TransferTo’s technology is creating a fundamental link between M-PESA users in Kenya and PayPal’s global network, and seamlessly connecting Kenyan shoppers and businesses to the global eCommerce world,” said De Caluwe.

To qualify your accounts and transact between the two services, please visit the M-PESA PayPal portal on www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa.

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List of accredited Universities in Kenya for engineering courses

List of accredited Universities in Kenya for engineering courses

Engineering students in Kenya have recently had a tough time after the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) disowned degrees from some universities. The body has now published a list of universities recognised for engineering courses.

  1. University of Nairobi (UoN)
  2. Moi University
  3. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
  4. Egerton University
  5. Dedan Kimathi University of Technology
  6. Kenyatta University (KU)
  7. Technical University of Mombasa
  8. Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
  9. Multimedia University of Kenya

Visit the EBK website for more updates ebk.or.ke.

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How to register for M-Akiba through your Mobile Phone

How to register for M-Akiba through your Mobile Phone

M-Akiba is a USSD mobile system that allows Kenyans to invest in Government Bonds.

1. To invest in M-Akiba, dial USSD Code *889# on your line.

2. A prompt will appear on your screen requiring you to enter your preferred Service Personal Identification Number (PIN). Set your preferred PIN then press OK to proceed.

Please note that for subsequent transactions, you will use the preferred PIN you entered the first time. You are advised to keep your PIN a secret and protect it against unauthorized persons. In an event you forgot your PIN, press 0 and follow the prompts to set a new PIN.

3. Enter Your National Identity Number
The M-Akiba bond is open to Kenya’s citizens who have attained legal adult age of 18 years and are in a possession of a mobile money enabled phone, a duly registered line and a valid National Identity card.

4. Register to Participate in M-Akiba
After entering your National ID number, you will then be prompted to register by dialing 1.

5. Accept Terms & Conditions of M-Akiba
The service will revert with terms & conditions of M-Akiba. You are required to read and understand the terms & conditions, if you are in agreement press 1 for YES.

6. Complete Submission of Details
After accepting terms & conditions, you will receive notification from your network service provider informing you of your successful submission of details. You will then wait a few minutes for a confirmation message.

7. Receive M-Akiba Account Details via SMS
The confirmation message will have your M-Akiba Account Number, Your Name and the activation time & date of your M-Akiba Account. To continue trading, dial *889# on your line and follow the prompts.

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How to Deposit Money to CBA Loop via Mpesa

How to Deposit Money to CBA Loop via Mpesa

CBA Loop’s Lipa na M-Pesa paybill number is 714777. 

CBA Loop is a digital banking application that is available via web and mobile. It is targeted at millennials who by culture do not want to visit bank branches. Loop has no branches except for a few stores that allow you to collect your CBA Loop Mastercard.

*Do not use these instructions if you want to deposit to a Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) account.

The Procedure for depositing money via M-Pesa to your Loop account is as follows

  1. Go to M-Pesa menu on your phone, select “Lipa na M-Pesa”
  2. Select “Paybill”
  3. Select “Enter business no.” and enter the 714777 as the Loop business no and press “OK”
  4. Enter your mobile number as Account Number and press “OK”
  5. Enter amount i.e. amount you want to deposit and press “OK”
  6. Enter your M-PESA PIN and press “OK”
  7. Confirm all the details are correct and press “OK”
  8. You will receive a verification window from M-Pesa where you have 1 minute to verify that the details are correct, if correct, dismiss or ignore, if wrong, enter the number 1 and press OK to cancel the transaction
  9. You will receive a confirmation SMS from M-Pesa immediately.
  10. Loop will then send you a confirmation SMS but you can check your loop account for confirmation of deposit.

If you have not registered for Loop and wish to do so, visit www.cbaloop.com. Registration is online and you only have to visit a Loop store to pick up your Mastercard.

 

The stores are currently available in the following locations -:

Garden City

Mama Ngina

Yaya Centre

Sarit Centre

The Point Mall – Buru Buru

Masai Mall – Ongata Rongai

Hours of Business; 8am-8pm Monday to Sunday. Closed on public holidays

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How Kenya’s SGR compares to Ethiopia’s Electrified Railway

Kenya's SGR versus Ethiopia's Electrified Railway

Kenyans are naturally inquisitive, more so about projects that generate public interest. One such project is the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).

A question that isn’t going away is why Ethiopia has managed to build an electrified Standard Gauge Railway for less money than Kenya, yet ours is not even electric?

Engineers that are part of the SGR Kenya team have taken to Facebook to address that question in detail by providing a detailed comparison that provides an overview of how different the two projects are.

A quick comparison is drawn to the difference in speed, “It’s good to note that electric does not always mean super-fast. The Ethiopian line is only 40km/h faster than the Kenyan line.”

The Facebook post goes further to cast a light upon Ethiopia’s ability to produce enough power to run an electric railway line. “Ethiopia’s electricity generation is about to explode with the construction of the 6,000mw Grand Renaissance Dam , which will give the train service stable power supply. (Kenya Power comes to mind)”

Another reason that has contributed to the hefty bill on the Kenyan line is social and cultural factor that has meant that the Kenya Railway Corporation has had to listen to voices of communities that will be affected by the railway line such as environmentalists who are vocal about the impact of the project on Kenya’s wildlife.

Other issues that have led to the huge cost include land acquisition, the construction of bridges and stations.

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) was retained by Kenya Railways (KR) to undertake phase 1 of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR Project while Third Railway Survey and Design Institute Group, Apec Consortium Limited and Edon Consultants International (TSDI/APEC/EDON Consortium) undertake design review and construction supervision of the contracts to ensure the quality standards are met.

A detailed analysis is given in the following pictures

Read the full post on Facebook. Learn more about what a Standard Gauge Railway is.

 

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African Union passport to increase Africa travel spend by 24 percent

African Union passport to increase Africa travel spend by 24 percent

New research released by global travel technology provider, Sabre Corporation, has revealed that African air travel spend is expected to rise 24% with the introduction of the pan-African passport in 2018.

The new African Union passport will enable African travellers to visit other countries on the continent without a visa.

The comprehensive survey by Sabre aimed to uncover the opportunities and challenges faced by African travellers today, in a bid to help airlines address these to support their own growth and provide travellers a better journey. Travellers from four countries – South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt were surveyed, with those having flown in the past 24 months saying they would spend 24 percent more with the introduction of the passport (from $1,100 to $1,500 annually).

But despite a willingness among travellers to spend more on flights, travel in Africa still remains inaccessible to the majority, with only 23 percent of those surveyed having travelled abroad at all in the last two years. When asked what prevents them from travelling more, the top reasons were:

  • 32% said travel is too expensive
  • 31% said it is difficult obtaining VISAs
  • 30% said it is too difficult to book travel
  • 28% said there are no flights to their chosen destination

Travellers also expressed a number of gripes about their current experiences when travelling:

  • 27% said the check-in process takes too long
  • 22% said the check-in procedure is confusing
  • 20% don’t like the food on aircrafts
  • 19% think there is not enough to do at the airport

“The results suggest that while travel is inaccessible to many and is difficult for those that do travel, there is a still a strong desire to travel more,” said Dino Gelmetti, vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Airline Solutions, Sabre.  “Additionally, most of the pain points can be addressed by airlines, and these tweaks could make all the difference to travellers.  African carriers currently face tough competition from international rivals that control 88 percent of African airspace but, as demand for travel increases, African airlines have a real opportunity to win the lion’s share of bookings by addressing the pain points of travellers and going the extra mile to improve their experience.”

Like many other travellers globally, Africans also expressed a strong interest in experiencing a travel journey that was more personalised and tailored towards them.  Respondents said that they would be willing to spend up to $104 per trip on an airline’s extra products and services – such as excess baggage, cabin class upgrades, and special food and beverage – if it improved and personalised their journey.

“Airlines globally currently pocket an average of just $16 per passenger on ancillaries, so the fact that African travellers are prepared to spend six times more than that represents a significant retail opportunity for carriers on the continent,” said Gelmetti.  “Airlines will flourish if they invest in technology that can make sense of customer data and use it to offer passengers the right product in the right context at the right time.  This technology, which empowers airlines to mirror the personalised shopping tactics already mastered by the online retail industry has been proven to increase ancillary revenue by an average of 10 percent, and is being used by some of the world’s most forward-thinking carriers.”

As further encouragement for African carriers, Sabre’s survey respondents stated a number of reasons why people would choose to fly with their local carrier over a foreign airline; the top three reasons were:
  • It offered cheaper tickets
  • It offered the latest technology on board
  • It offered greater comfort on board.

The survey reveals significant growth opportunity for African airlines willing to address travellers’ current pain points

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When and Where? – The Maasai Market, Nairobi, Kenya

The Maasai Market, Nairobi, Kenya

Kenya’s Maasai Market is arguably the best places for first-time visitors looking to experience authentic Kenyan culture.

Offering an array of apparel, handicrafts, accessories and jewellery at excellent prices, these lively day markets are great for local and international guests. The concept of the market is borrowed from the culture of one of Kenya’s most endeared communities, the Maasai.

Depicted in various international Movies and TV shows, the Maasai are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress.

Next time you are in Kenya, here’s the when and where of the Maasai Market -:

When

Where
Monday No market on this day.
Tuesday Prestige Plaza along Ngong Road and Kijabe Street Park next to Nairobi River
Wednesday Capital Center along Mombasa rd
Thursday The Junction Mall & along Ngong road
Friday The Village market along Limuru road & Lavington Mall
Saturday The High court parking in the city Center opposite Re-Insurance Plaza & Prestige Plaza along Ngong road
Sunday Yaya Center along Valley Road in Hurlingham
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