KCB Bank customers were left stranded across the country on Sunday afternoon, October 26, 2025, after a sudden system failure paralyzed key banking services.
From ATMs to mobile apps, everything went silent, locking out millions of Kenyans who depend on the bank’s digital platforms to access their money.
The disruption sparked outrage among account holders who found themselves unable to pay bills, withdraw cash, or complete transactions at the peak of weekend activity.
For hours, frustration built up as customers flooded social media to question what had gone wrong. Many narrated how they were stranded at supermarkets, fuel stations, and hospitals after their cards and USSD services failed to process payments.
The silence from the lender made matters worse until around 4:12 p.m., when KCB finally confirmed the outage through a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
The bank admitted that its ATMs, internet banking, mobile app, cards, and USSD services were down, promising that engineers were working urgently to restore access.
While the lender apologized and asked for patience, many Kenyans expressed disappointment that such a massive failure could happen in one of the country’s largest banks.
The problem not only disrupted routine payments but also raised questions about the reliability of KCB’s digital infrastructure.
For a bank that prides itself on technological advancement and a growing online customer base, the blackout was a hard blow to its credibility.
KCB has over the years invested heavily in digital transformation, expanding its mobile and online banking to serve millions across East Africa.
The *522# USSD code and KCB mobile app have become essential tools for customers to buy airtime, transfer funds, pay bills, and access instant loans. When these systems crashed, it exposed the thin line between convenience and chaos in Kenya’s digital banking sector.
Banking downtimes are not new, often linked to system maintenance, server overloads, or technical glitches. However, the scale of Sunday’s outage reignited public debate about how prepared major banks are to handle digital disruptions.
Customers expect stability, especially from a financial giant like KCB that handles billions of shillings in transactions daily.
The incident revealed how even a brief failure can paralyze economic activity, from small businesses relying on mobile payments to individuals transferring school fees or settling hospital bills.
By late evening, some users reported partial restoration of services, though others remained locked out. KCB’s prompt communication helped ease speculation, but trust had already taken a hit.
The bank now faces pressure to strengthen its systems, improve response speed, and ensure that such failures do not repeat. In a country where mobile banking has become the backbone of commerce, reliability is not just expected it’s demanded.
