In 2024, new data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows that men are responsible for 61 percent of the total value of mobile money transactions, amounting to Sh5.3 trillion out of Sh8.7 trillion processed through services like M-Pesa. Women account for 39 per cent, highlighting ongoing differences.
Women, holding the line at 39 percent, shows persistent divides in earnings and spending clout, even as overall financial inclusion edges closer to parity with a narrowed access gap of just 1.6 percent nationwide.
Telcos and regulators hail the surge in digital wallets as a game-changer, but experts warn the value skew signals deeper inequities in how cash flows through Kenya’s bustling informal economy.
The CBK’s 2024 report, dropped last week amid a flurry of economic briefings, paints a snapshot of a nation hooked on airtime-fuelled finance. Over 80 per cent of adults now wield mobile money accounts, up from 33 per cent in 2006, with women closing ranks on ownership rates.
Yet, when it comes to big-ticket moves – think bulk transfers for business stock or family remittances – men’s share towers, reflecting wage disparities where urban gents out-earn their counterparts by 20-30 per cent in sectors like construction and trade.
“It’s not just about having the phone; it’s about the power behind the PIN,” quipped economist.
In the dusty alleys of Gikomba market, the stats hit home. Vendor Fatuma Ali, 38, tallied her week’s sends on a scratched Nokia: Sh12,000 split between suppliers and siblings, all under Sh5,000 chunks.
“Men here deal in crates; we handle coins. M-Pesa opened doors, but the room’s still half-lit for us,” she shared over a steaming mug of kahawa, her ledger app glowing with modest logs.
Fatuma’s story mirrors survey trends: women dominate low-value volumes but lag in high-stakes plays, a gap widened by cultural norms tethering many to unpaid care work.
The FinAccess dive flags this as a “usage chasm”, with only 45 percent of women tapping merchant payments versus 62 percent of men, per the data.
Telcos like Safaricom, which commands 90 per cent of the pie, spotlight progress in a glossy release. “Mobile money’s the great leveller, but we need targeted nudges for women-led hustles,” said a Telco officer unveiling plans for zero-fee women-only wallets in 2026.
Their stats align with the CBK: total transactions hit 2.5 billion last year, a 15 per cent jump, but the gender tilt persists amid Kenya’s 5.6 per cent GDP growth.
Critics, though, eye the flip side. A Nature study out this month links digital loans to bridging credit gaps, yet warns unchecked apps could entrench biases if algorithms favour male profiles.
“We’re wiring women in, but not wiring them up the value chain,” noted a researcher from Strathmore University, advocating for policy tweaks like subsidised data for female entrepreneurs.
Social ripples extend beyond balances. In rural Kitui, where drought bites deep, women’s micro-sends keep granaries stocked, but men’s bulk buys snag bulkier loans.
“61% men? That’s code for ‘women pay the fees, men pay the fortunes.'” It sparked chats on gender budgeting, with activists pushing for a 30 per cent quota in fintech training.
LSE blogs echo this, tying mobile booms to subtle shifts in household power – wives negotiating spends via shared LEDs, chipping at patriarchal ledgers.
As 2025 budgets loom, the CBK urges a “gender lens” on digital regs, eyeing pilots in Meru for women-only savings circles.
Kenya’s mobile miracle, born in 2007’s M-Pesa spark, has halved poverty in spots, per World Bank nods, but this gender gap reminds us that inclusion’s incomplete without equity’s edge.
With youth cohorts narrowing divides – Gen-Z women at 55 per cent usage – the tilt might tip soon. Until then, it’s a reminder: in Kenya’s pocket-powered economy, every beep carries weight, and the scales still wobble.
