Airtel Money, I&M Bank Seal Deal to Boost Digital Payments, Expand Merchant Access, and Drive Financial Inclusion Across Kenya

Airtel Money customers can now make seamless payments to I&M Bank merchants nationwide, following a partnership between Airtel Money and I&M Bank.

This partnership, which is aimed at strengthening Kenya’s digital commerce infrastructure, will see Airtel Money customers enjoy a 50 per cent guaranteed cashback as airtime on all Paybill payments as well as faster payment experiences, a wider merchant network, and more secure mobile money transactions.

“At Airtel Money, we are cognizant of the reality that over 90 per cent of Paybills in the market are bank pay bills. Partnering with like-minded partners such as I&M Bank, we are not only easing wallet funding and bills payment for our customers but also expanding our customers’ choices through the extensive merchant network and making digital payments easier, faster, and more secure,” said Airtel Money Kenya Managing Director Anne Kinuthia-Otieno.

The partnership simplifies how customers send money, pay bills, and manage their finances, instantly and securely from their mobile phones. It also underscores a shared commitment to accelerating innovation, empowering SMEs, and advancing financial inclusion across Kenya.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Kihara Maina, I&M Bank Regional CEO and Interim CEO I&M Bank Kenya said, “We are delighted to partner with Airtel Money to make payments to I&M merchants seamless and universally accessible. This collaboration is a concrete step in our regional digital strategy, one that deepens interoperability, broadens financial access and supports the merchants and small businesses that power our economies.”

“This Kenya partnership builds on the successful partnership between Airtel Money Tanzania and I&M Bank Tanzania, demonstrating both institutions’ commitment to building integrated digital payment ecosystems across East Africa. At I&M we believe that strategic partnerships like this one accelerate the transition to efficient, transparent and inclusive digital payments across East Africa,” he concluded.

The regional approach enables both organizations to leverage shared learnings, scale innovations faster, and deliver consistent, high-quality digital banking experiences to customers across multiple markets, reinforcing I&M Group’s strategic vision of borderless banking and Airtel’s position as a leading mobile money operator in the region.

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