The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is preparing to allow investors to buy and sell shares directly through M-Pesa.
It is a move that could fundamentally change how Kenyans interact with the capital market, with the NSE planning for January 2026 as a resultive date.
Once implemented, this integration will make it possible for ordinary M-Pesa users to trade listed shares using their mobile phones, in much the same way they already send money, pay bills or save through mobile-based products.
In practical terms, this means that investors will no longer need to go through lengthy brokerage onboarding processes or rely heavily on multiple platforms to participate in the stock market. Share transactions will be embedded within the M-Pesa ecosystem, with trading, payments and portfolio tracking handled seamlessly in the background through regulated market infrastructure.
The goal is to simplify access to equities and make investing feel less distant or complicated for the average Kenyan.
This decision did not come out of nowhere. The NSE has been undergoing a deliberate transformation aimed at modernising the market and widening participation.
One of the most notable changes was the removal of the long-standing requirement that investors trade shares in minimum lots of 100. The Exchange significantly lowered the entry barrier for retail investors, especially those with limited capital by allowing single-share trading.
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At the same time, the Exchange has been aligning itself more closely with Kenya’s fast-evolving digital financial ecosystem. Mobile-based investment products, particularly money market funds accessible through mobile wallets, have gained uptake and demonstrated that Kenyans are willing to invest when products are simple, trusted and easily accessible.
The planned M-Pesa share-trading capability builds directly on this behaviour, extending mobile investing beyond savings and fixed-income products into equities.
Retail participation and daily trading activity at the Exchange have remained relatively low for years, with a large proportion of accounts lying dormant. The NSE is effectively meeting potential investors where they already are, rather than expecting them to adapt to traditional capital market systems that many find intimidating or inaccessible.
Easier access to share trading could bring millions of new retail investors into the market over time, helping to improve liquidity and trading volumes.
A larger investor base also strengthens price discovery and makes the market more resilient. In the long run, this can enhance confidence among both local and international investors.
