Kenya Power Launches ‘Sambaza Stima’ Feature to Enable Sharing of Electricity Units

Kenya Power has introduced a new service dubbed Sambaza Stima, allowing customers to transfer electricity tokens directly to friends, family, or tenants.

The innovative feature, inspired by airtime-sharing services, will enable users to send between 1 and 500 electricity units per transaction through a USSD code (*9090#) or via a mobile app.

According to Kenya Power spokesperson Simon Mwaura, the initiative is aimed at improving convenience and promoting community support among users.

“With Sambaza Stima, no Kenyan should have to sit in darkness while their neighbour has extra units,” he said during the announcement.

One of the key highlights of the service is an 

“emergency request” feature, which allows users who run out of electricity to alert selected contacts for assistance.

The new system also addresses a long-standing issue where customers accidentally purchase excess tokens or send them to the wrong meter. 

Instead of going through complex refund procedures, users can now transfer surplus units to another person and recover their money informally.

To enhance transparency, each transaction will include a reference number, allowing both the sender and recipient to track shared units.

However, Kenya Power cautioned that once tokens are transferred, the transaction cannot be reversed, urging customers to carefully verify meter details before confirming.

A small convenience fee will apply for each transfer, although discounts are expected for frequent users and bulk transactions. 

The company is also exploring integration with mobile money platforms to facilitate seamless payments between users.

Energy experts note that the feature could help reduce wastage of electricity units, especially in rental properties and short-term stays, where unused tokens often go to waste.

Kenya Power confirmed that the service will be rolled out in phases across the country, starting with prepaid meters, with plans for future upgrades such as group sharing and scheduled transfers.

The company assured customers that all transactions will be secure and instantly reflected on the recipient’s meter, encouraging users to take advantage of the service responsibly.