The video shared by Leah Awiti-Omil has stirred a wave of anger among Kenyans who feel that Safaricom has not been transparent about how it handles customer funds. Leah, who is known for mentoring young professionals and previously supported the company by publicizing its job opportunities, shocked many when she revealed that Safaricom had allegedly taken money from her account. She claimed that 50,000 shillings disappeared from her M-Pesa wallet without her knowledge, and despite her efforts to contact the company through emails, no one addressed her concern. Her revelation has brought renewed attention to claims that Safaricom’s systems may not be as secure as many customers believe.
In her Facebook video titled “Series One: Safaricom PLC is Stealing Your Money,” Leah detailed how customers could easily fall victim to fraud even without sharing personal details. She pointed out that a sudden network loss could mean that someone has swapped your SIM card and gained access to your M-Pesa funds.
According to her, this type of fraud is not purely external but often involves insiders who work together with criminals to exploit loopholes in Safaricom’s systems. Leah further alleged that beyond direct theft, Safaricom has been making unauthorized small deductions from customer accounts through mysterious charges and inflated service fees.
Her video triggered an outpouring of testimonies from Kenyans who said they had experienced similar issues. Many reported losing data bundles or airtime that vanished without explanation, while others said they had seen small charges linked to Bonga points or premium services they never subscribed to.
Some commenters said they had long suspected foul play but never had proof until Leah’s case came to light. The outrage reflects growing frustration with what many see as Safaricom’s lack of accountability and its poor customer support system, especially when money goes missing.
Past incidents also suggest that internal fraud within the company is not new. In 2024, a Safaricom employee was charged for helping steal over 29 million shillings from the National Hospital Insurance Fund through M-Pesa transactions. Another customer came forward claiming that his line had been accessed by rogue insiders, leading to loss of funds that Safaricom refused to compensate even after several weeks.
These cases have raised serious concerns about how deeply internal fraud may be rooted in the company and whether Safaricom is doing enough to protect its users.
Although the company has not directly responded to Leah Awiti’s video, it has previously said it works closely with authorities to combat fraud. However, many Kenyans feel that such statements are only meant to protect the company’s image and not to provide justice for affected customers.
Her story has reopened a national conversation about corporate responsibility, digital security, and the need for stronger regulation of companies that handle public money.
