In a post I wrote a few months ago, I showed Safaricom subscribers how they could use M-PESA HAKIKISHA to check for peoples names.

In this article I am going to show you how to activate M-PESA Hakikisha if you have been barred from using it – something that might happen if you cancel M-PESA transactions 5 times.

Here are a few text messages that show why you would be kicked out from the service. Further down, I am going to show you how to opt back in – how to activate the HAKIKISHA service for your M-PESA account again.

1. You have cancelled the transaction of KSH 100.00. Kindly note that if you cancel 5 times, you will be barred from using M-PESA HAKIKISHA. Your M-PESA balance is KSH 200.
2. You have cancelled the transaction of KSH 500.00. Kindly note that if you cancel 5 times, you will be barred from using M-PESA HAKIKISHA. Your M-PESA balance is KSH 550.

And in case you are wondering how Hakikisha works for M-PESA users, you have probably seen these while using your M-PESA account to send money or buy something – like airtime:

• 254704123456 PETER OTI WILLIS will receive KSH 500.00. To STOP this transaction, send any letter or number within 25 seconds. Cost KSH 11.00
• Pay PesaPal KSH 100.00 for Account 773123456. To STOP this transaction, send any letter or number within 25 seconds. Cost KSH 2.00

These are the notifications you will see right after you have entered your M-PESA PIN.

You will see a screen with the details of your current transaction. You will see the cost of the transaction. And then you will see this mentioned as well – a reminder on how to stop an M-PESA transaction – by sending any letter or number within 25 seconds.

In the first example, I was sending money to a fictitious person called OTI.

In the second example, I was using PesaPal (the Kenyan payment aggregator / gateway) paybill number to buy airtime for my Telkom Kenya line.

Ways to activate M-PESA Hakikisha (opt back in)

To turn back on HAKIKISHA, you can use the *234#, *100# and *456# Safaricom USSD codes to access the extra M-PESA services.

Use any of the methods outlined below to activate HAKIKISHA.

• Dial *234# on your feature phone, smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer (if using your SIM in a modem or router)
• Select option 5: M-PESA Information
• Select option 5: HAKIKISHA
• Reply with:
  1 to Opt Out
  2 to Opt Back
  3 to Exit the HAKIKISHA menu
• To opt back in, reply with 2 (for the Opt Back option)

OR

• Dial *100#
• Select option 4: M-PESA
• Select option 5: M-PESA Information
• Select option 5: HAKIKISHA
• Reply with:
  1 to Opt Out
  2 to Opt Back
  3 to Exit the HAKIKISHA menu
• Reply with 2

OR

• Dial *456#
• Select option 5: M-PESA
• Select option 5: M-PESA Information
• Select option 5: HAKIKISHA
  Reply with – 1: Opt Out OR 2: Opt Back OR 3: Exit
• To opt back, reply with 2

Why would your M-PESA HAKIKISHA become inactive / deactivated

If you have cancelled M-PESA transactions 5 times you will be barred from using HAKIKISHA. I have never been barred from Hakikisha – because I usually double-check every detail (the numbers – phone numbers and amounts I want to send) before I press the final OK.

IF you use M-PESA a lot, using the HAKIKISHA cancellation feature will become necessary – if you want to eliminate mistakes that’d see your money end up in the wrong account.

Having never been barred, I am just assuming that one only gets barred if they cancel five or more M-PESA transactions in quick succession. This could be within 1 day – within 24 hours, 12 hours or even 1 hour.

Why you want HAKIKISHA enabled / activated if you use M-PESA a lot

It is one more layer of security you need. The 25 second window you are given in which you can decide to stop a transaction can save you a lot of time and headaches.

If a transaction goes through, and you realize later that you sent money to a wrong number, it might take you more than a minute (sometimes up to 5) to get your money back using the M-PESA reversal feature.

However, if your HAKIKISHA is activated, you might catch the error during the 25 second window and immediately stop the transaction by sending any letter or number.

So, make sure HAKIKISHA is activated. Add an extra layer of security on the money in your M-PESA mobile money wallet.

You can see the name of the person you are sending money to before any money leaves your M-PESA account. Keying in a number and thinking you have entered the right combination is one thing. You can easily make a mistake – enter the wrong mobile number / paybill number / till number – especially if there are a lot of 1s and 0s in the phone / paybill number.

But immediately you see a name that doesn’t match the recipient you had in mind you can, if your HAKIKISHA is activated, immediately stop the transaction.

Have something you would like to add? Let me know in the comments section below.

To read my other articles, check the Safaricom category here.

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