Analysis

Stories that begin with something visible and ask what larger system is quietly being revealed.

Opinion

PesaLink’s New ID Makes Bank Transfers Easier. The Bigger Question Is Who Owns the Rail

PesaLink’s portable payment ID could let Kenyans send money using phone numbers or other familiar identifiers without knowing the recipient’s bank, while lower transfer fees seek to make the rail easier to use. Its rollout also lands as Kenya debates a national instant-payment switch, raising a bigger question over whether PesaLink can evolve from bank infrastructure into part of a broader payments system, and under whose rules.

Payments · 8 Oct 2026 · 7 min read

First Reading.

M-PESA’s Masked Numbers Open a Bigger Fight Over Kenya’s Financial Data.

Safaricom’s masking of M-PESA numbers is more than a simple privacy upgrade. It is a battle for control of Kenya's digital finance infrastructure. As critical identifiers vanish, the regulatory focus shifts from data access to data control and portability.

Payments · 18 Aug 2026 · 12 min read