A few months ago, the Kenyan government unveiled a single Paybill number (222222) for all government payments. The decision was announced by President Ruto, who said that the government was losing revenue through multiple mobile money payment channels.
Kenyans know that unlike till numbers, paybill payments attract a fee (although some till numbers are not free). In an effort to encourage payments through other products such as Airtel Money and T-Kash, the Central Bank of Kenya pushed for paybill and till number interoperability, meaning that Kenyans who need such services do not have to use the popular M-PESA.
Most government services have since been onboarded onto the e-citizen platform. Airtel Kenya says its customers can enjoy up to 25% lower transaction fees than other mobile money platforms when paying for e-citizen services.
“One can enjoy up to 25% lower transaction fees compared to the current market rates when paying for the over 9,000 government services using Airtel Money,” a statement from Airtel Money said.
“Airtel Money’s decision to partner with eCitizen aligns with our commitment to offering convenience by collaborating with essential day-to-day service providers to benefit customers. This partnership also reflects Airtel Money’s support for government-led initiatives, making it a perfect opportunity for further growth and innovation,” Anne Kinuthia-Otieno, the Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya, said.
To pay for eCitizen services using Airtel Money, customers can follow these steps:
- Dial *334#
- Select Paybill & Till Payments
- Select Airtel Paybill
- Choose Government Services
- Select e-Citizen
- Enter reference number
- Enter the amount
- Enter your PIN
Alternatively, customers can use the My Airtel app to make payments for the services.
In August 2023, revenue from state service fees hit a record high, reaching KES 2.4 billion, following President William Ruto’s directive to use a standard paybill number for government agencies. This was the first time it had surpassed KES 2 billion since the beginning of the year, but it slightly declined to KES 2.3 billion in September.
