Safaricom Yields to Pressure, Apologises Over Poor My OneApp Experience

Safaricom has issued a public apology following widespread complaints from users over the performance of its My OneApp.

In a statement on Thursday, April 16, the telco acknowledged that the rollout did not meet expectations and admitted to delivering a subpar user experience.

"To our customers, we owe you a sincere apology over the new My OneApp. We are sorry for giving you a poor experience," the statement read.

Safaricom conceded that many users encountered difficulties accessing and navigating the app, prompting an urgent internal review and response.

The company noted that the issues were more pronounced among roaming and diaspora users, as well as those whose devices automatically updated to the new version of the app.

"Many of you have experienced challenges while accessing the app and when you did, the experience fell short. Particularly, to our roaming and diaspora customers who have had more challenges logging into the new app, and for those who had auto-updates settings on their phones and were automatically moved to the new My OneApp. This is not what we promised, and for that we are sorry," the statement added 

Safaricom defended the original intention behind the My OneApp, stating that it was designed to unify services and enhance user convenience and overall experience.

"We built My OneApp to serve you better, bringing all Safaricom services into one place, with simple journeys, improved security and offering a better customer experience," the statement further read.

However, Safaricom admitted that user feedback has shown a clear gap between expectations and delivery, assuring customers that their concerns are being taken seriously and acted upon with urgency.

"We have gathered all the feedback, and we are treating your concerns with urgency. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve the issues you have raised, so that whether you are in Kenya or abroad, you can seamlessly access and use My OneApp," the statement concluded.

Earlier Thursday, Safaricom had clarified why some customers are unable to access the My OneApp while in certain foreign countries.

In a brief statement, the telco explained that the restrictions apply to users in locations where it does not have a roaming partnership.

"If you’re in a country without a Safaricom roaming partner, access to the M-PESA App may be restricted for security reasons," the statement read.

Safaricom further advised affected users on alternative ways to access services and what to do once they move to supported regions.

"Kindly use *334# where available, or log back in once you’re in a supported roaming location. Sorry for the inconvenience," the statement added.

Prior to that, Safaricom had responded to concerns from Kenyans living abroad following a recent update to the My OneApp that left many users locked out of their accounts.

Diaspora users of M-PESA reported being automatically logged out after the update, with difficulties logging back in while outside Kenya.

"You have logged out all of us and the only way to login again is to have the Safaricom network connected, which doesn’t work on roaming. Now tell me, what do you want me to do with the money in my M-PESA? Huge disappointment," one user said.

In response, Safaricom explained that users abroad can still regain access to their accounts by following specific steps during the login process.

The company stated that the issue can be resolved by ensuring the Safaricom SIM card is correctly set up and used during the initial login attempt.

"To log back into My OneApp while abroad, ensure your Safaricom SIM is inserted as primary, roaming is active, and use mobile data (not Wi-Fi) for the first login. You can switch to Wi-Fi after," Safaricom explained.