Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has made serious allegations against Safaricom PLC, claiming that the telecommunications giant deliberately shut down the "Paybill ya Mwananchi" service following what he termed as "orders from above."
The dramatic development comes just days after the Linda Mwananchi movement launched a highly successful public fundraising drive that had already raised over Sh2.2 million from ordinary Kenyans.
Speaking through a statement shared on his official Facebook page on July 23, 2026, Sifuna did not mince his words when he accused the mobile service provider of disabling the paybill number 3033049 after receiving instructions from undisclosed individuals.
The Nairobi Senator's allegations have since sparked a heated debate across social media platforms, with many Kenyans questioning whether there is political interference in the operations of Kenya's largest telecommunications company.
The Linda Mwananchi movement, however, has offered a different explanation for the service disruption. In a notice issued to its supporters, the initiative acknowledged that the Paybill service was unavailable but attributed the problem to technical issues.
The movement stated that it was working closely with the service provider to resolve the issue and restore the payment option as quickly as possible. "We are currently experiencing technical issues with the Paybill mode of payment.
We have reached out to the provider to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Kindly bear with us. Thank you for your patience and understanding!" the notice read in part.
The affected payment details were identified as Paybill 3033049, with contributors instructed to use their phone numbers as the account number when making contributions.
However, the movement's statement did not explain the specific cause of the technical issues nor indicate when the service would be restored.
A Fundraising Success Story Cut Short
The shutdown of the Paybill comes at a time when the Linda Mwananchi movement was experiencing unprecedented public support.
Just two days before the reported disruption, Sifuna had unveiled Paybill Number 3033049 as the official fundraising platform for the movement, urging Kenyans to contribute as little as Sh10 each to support its operations and logistical needs.
The campaign struck a chord with ordinary citizens, and within hours of its launch, thousands of Kenyans had already made their contributions.
According to figures released by the organisers, the movement raised an impressive Sh519,144 on the very first day of the campaign. A total of 9,419 Kenyans made contributions between 7:30 am and 6:00 pm, a period of approximately ten and a half hours.
The average contribution stood at Sh55, with the largest single donation amounting to Sh5,000 and the smallest contribution being just Sh1. This wide range of donations demonstrated the broad-based public participation that the movement had been encouraging.
By July 22, just one day after the official launch, the Linda Mwananchi movement announced that it had raised more than Sh2.2 million from supporters. In an update shared on that day, the initiative confirmed that it had received Sh2,210,836.82 in contributions through the M-Pesa Paybill.
The movement expressed its gratitude to Kenyans for backing the initiative, stating that contributions were still coming in before the service was abruptly disrupted.
Why the Paybill Was Registered Under Sifuna's Name
During an interview on Mulembe FM on Tuesday, July 21, Sifuna took time to explain the reasoning behind registering the paybill under his personal name.
He clarified that because Linda Mwananchi has not yet been formally registered as a political party, the paybill account had to be registered under his official name. "I want to explain to Kenyans about our Paybill.
We have not registered Linda Mwananchi as a party, so when we are looking for a Paybill account, we use our official names. You will see my name on the Paybill. The Paybill number is 3033049. You will see the name E. Sifuna," he explained.
The Senator also took the opportunity to dismiss claims that the movement is financed by wealthy individuals or shadowy sponsors. He insisted that Linda Mwananchi is a grassroots movement supported by ordinary Kenyans who believe in its cause. "The critics should choose one battle.
If I'm someone's project, then I have money; why do they then say that I do not have money? They should choose one: either I have, or I do not have money. Either I have a sponsor, or I do not have one," Sifuna said during the interview.
Commitment to Transparency and Accountability
Despite the controversy surrounding the paybill shutdown, Sifuna has remained steadfast in his commitment to transparency.
He assured supporters that the movement would publicly account for all money raised and explain exactly how the funds are spent. "Send me those Sh10, and I shall later announce how much we have raised.
Because we have agreed on equality, and the paybill is under my name, when we sit with other leaders, we show them all the money that has come in so far and how we have utilised it," he stated.
The Senator revealed that part of the funds raised had already been used to support a bereaved family in Kisii after a supporter passed away during one of the movement's rallies.
He also disclosed that one of the movement's biggest events in Kisumu cost approximately Sh2.6 million because of additional security requirements, illustrating the significant financial demands involved in organising nationwide political activities.
"We use the money to pay DJ Spider and also pay for other logistics. For example, we used the money to support our brother who passed on in Kisii during our rally. The money came from Linda Mwananchi," Sifuna explained.
He maintained that the movement is not seeking to enrich its leaders but rather to sustain its grassroots mobilisation efforts across the country. "We are not looking to enrich ourselves. We do not need too much money. What we need is to cover the logistics of attending some of these meetings," he said.
Political Context and Public Reaction
The fundraising campaign comes at a significant moment for Sifuna, who recently lost his position as Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General.
His ouster from the party leadership triggered a groundswell of public sympathy and renewed attention on the Linda Mwananchi movement, which he currently leads.
Supporters have since mounted pressure on him to officially declare a presidential bid ahead of the 2027 General Election, a prospect he has not ruled out.
Sifuna has maintained that he will first tour all 47 counties to gauge the movement's support before deciding whether to join the presidential race, saying any bid must be backed by enough grassroots support to meet the constitutional threshold.
He has also rejected claims that Linda Mwananchi is linked to the Jubilee Party, insisting the movement remains an independent, citizen-driven initiative.
The closure of the paybill is likely to intensify scrutiny of the relationship between government influence and private telecommunications operators in Kenya.
Several Kenyans have already shared screenshots of failed transactions while attempting to send money to the paybill. One user reached out to Safaricom online for an explanation, and the company's customer care team responded by requesting the user's mobile number, registered name, ID number, and year of birth to check and advise.
As of the time of Sifuna's post and this publication, Safaricom had not issued a public statement explaining the closure of the Paybill.
The telecommunications giant has not commented on the Senator's allegations of political interference, leaving Kenyans to speculate about the true reasons behind the service disruption.
The Linda Mwananchi movement continues to encourage supporters to be patient as they work with the service provider to resolve the technical issues. However, with no clear timeline for when the service will be restored, the movement's fundraising efforts remain in limbo.
The situation raises important questions about the independence of private telecommunications companies and whether they can be influenced by external forces to shut down services that are perceived as politically sensitive.
Kenyans who wish to support the Linda Mwananchi movement will have to wait and see whether the Paybill service will be restored or if alternative fundraising methods will be introduced.
The coming days will likely reveal more details about this developing story and whether Sifuna's allegations of "orders from above" will be substantiated or dismissed. One thing is certain: the shutdown of the Paybill has added a new layer of drama to Kenya's already vibrant political landscape, and all eyes will be on Safaricom to see how they respond to these serious allegations.
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