Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Mpesa Security Risk

According to the Ministry of Finance a technology disaster affecting Mpesa mobile transfer systems is now classified as a potential threat to the Kenyan economy (classified as a fiscal risk) causing loss of revenue- excise and corporate tax by firms running the systems. Mpesa represents a form of branch-less banking which was facilitated through a "special" license from regulators, despite concerns by regulators about non-branch banking in the interface between technology and the banking sector. This adds to the current state of financial insecurity.  Safaricom has apparently put in place several security systems to guard against such threats of disruption which could impact the Kenyan economy.

M-pesa plays a critical role in the Kenyan economy, a contribution that stands at a GDP of over 40%. For instance some Sh 2.8 trillion was transacted through mobile money last year, making it a crucial source of excise tax revenue for the government.  Other materials on Mpesa can be found on this site.


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