Safaricom PLC has clarified how the Social Health Authority can deduct money from a user’s M-Pesa account without prompting for the usual personal identification number when the user has activated the M-Pesa Ratiba standing order service. The explanation follows public concerns raised by an M-Pesa subscriber in January 2026 who questioned unexpected deductions from his mobile money wallet after registering for SHA contribution payments.
In a response issued on January 12, 2026, Safaricom said the deductions were not the result of a system error or unauthorised access. Instead, they were linked to the user’s prior activation of the M-Pesa Ratiba service, which allows selected paybills such as SHA to collect scheduled payments automatically without requiring a PIN each time.
“If you have activated M-Pesa Ratiba and enabled SHA to auto deduct, this can happen without prompting for the pin,” Safaricom said in its explanation.
M-Pesa Ratiba is Safaricom’s standing order service for mobile money users. It was introduced in October 2024 to help customers make regular automated payments such as insurance contributions, subscriptions, rent, school fees, and other recurring obligations. The service allows users to set payment schedules that can run daily, weekly, monthly, or annually.
When setting up a Ratiba standing order, customers are required to enter their M-Pesa pin once to authorise the arrangement. After this initial approval, future deductions are processed automatically on the scheduled dates. This means users do not receive the usual pin prompt for every transaction because the system treats the standing order as pre approved.
Safaricom explained that the service only works if the user has enough money in their M-Pesa wallet at the time of the scheduled deduction. If the balance is insufficient, the transaction does not go through. Customers also have the option to view, pause, or cancel their standing orders through the USSD menu or the M-Pesa app.
The explanation comes amid growing use of automated digital payments in Kenya, especially for government related services such as health insurance contributions. While many users appreciate the convenience of automatic payments, some have raised concerns about transparency and the feeling of losing control when funds are deducted without a pin prompt.
