In the case that a person wishes to inherit money in an Mpesa or Mshwari account, Safaricom has set several steps and regulations to make this possible. Ordinarily, one should not share an Mpesa pin, therefore if a close relative or spouse passes on, these are the steps you would need to inherit the money as the next of kin.
First, you would need these documents:
- Your identification card of the next of kin.
To avoid a false claim, you will need to present your identification card to prove that you are indeed the next of kin.
- A death certificate of the deceased.
A death certificate of the deceased enables Safaricom to freeze the Mpesa account ensuring no more transactions can occur in this account.
Then you would need to look for the following legal documents from public offices.
- Letter from a local administrator.
This could be such as a chief who writes a letter detailing information about the deceased. A chief serves as the administrator from whom information can be trusted.
- Grant of probate.
If the deceased had written and filed a will, the grant of probate bestows the power to manage money however fit to the next of kin.
- Grant of letters of administration.
There is a chance that the deceased left no will before he or she passed on. The letters of Administration can be issued by the Probate and Administration court to avoid disputes. The letter is given after providing adequate proof to a court of law that you are indeed the right and only legal representative to the inheritance of the deceased. These assets would include money in an Mpesa account.
- Affidavit of statutory declaration
This document ensures a legal relationship between the deceased and you, the person with a claim to the deceased assets. It is given by the Commissioner of Oaths.
- Confirmation of probate of letters of administration
This document provides a detailed description of the beneficiaries and the portions of the estate they are entitled to. It is granted by a court of law.
After obtaining the respective required documents, one can now inherit the money in an M-PESA account of a deceased person. Safaricom requires you download and fill a form from their website consisting of a few personal details like the amount and your signature. After receiving and processing of the filled form, the amount is automatically transferred to your registered Mpesa.
A different alternative would be for everyone to register their next of kin from your Mpesa sim toolkit. The process is as follows:
- Dial *234#
2. Select option 2: My Mpesa Information
3. Select option 6: Next of kin
4. Enter your Bonga Pin
5. Enter the Next of Kin Mobile Number
6. Choose their Identification Document
7. Fill in the Identification Number
8. Successful registration
In the case that nobody ever claims a deceased Mpesa amount for 2 years, Safaricom hands the task to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA), who follow a certain process to ensure the money gets to the right hands.
Read More onYou Are Never Too Young To Write A Will & Why You Should Do It Now
Keywords: Mpesa, Mpesa Inheritance, Next of Kin, Deceased Mpesa User
