M-Pesa Jumbe: Safaricom's new feature means you no longer have to show the cashier your message
Shops can send payment alerts straight to up to 50 staff phones, and customers get a confirmation that hides their name, number and balance.
Nairobi — Safaricom has introduced M-Pesa Jumbe, a feature that could end a familiar routine at Kenyan tills: the cashier asking to see the customer's M-Pesa confirmation message before handing over goods.
How it works
Jumbe, also known as Split Notifications, lets businesses send payment alerts directly to authorised employees' phones, People Daily reported. Businesses using eligible Lipa na M-Pesa Till and PayBill numbers, as well as Pochi la Biashara, can nominate up to 50 employees, each of whom must accept an invitation before receiving alerts. The alerts show the transaction reference, amount, business name, payment number, date and time.
That means a supermarket cashier or petrol station attendant can see the payment on their own phone, instead of asking "nionyeshe message yako" ("show me your message") or calling the owner, whose phone usually receives the alerts. It could be especially useful for businesses with several tills, branches or staff taking payments.
Privacy for customers
Customers receive a separate confirmation that does not show their full name, phone number or M-Pesa balance, details that appear in an ordinary confirmation message.
Not a cure for fraud
The unique transaction reference gives staff an independent way to check that money has arrived, which can reduce disputes and attempts to cheat attendants with fake or altered messages. But People Daily cautioned that it is an improvement in verification, not a guarantee: businesses should still check transaction details against their official records before releasing goods.
Source: People Daily, November 2026.
