Kenya: President Ruto Launches Ziidi Trader, Bringing Stock Trading to M-PESA Users

Kenya is taking a major step toward financial inclusion as President William Ruto officially launched Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader, a new tool that integrates share trading directly into the M-PESA mobile money platform. This innovation makes investing accessible to millions of ordinary Kenyans, breaking down barriers that previously restricted stock market participation to wealthier investors.

The launch took place at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Ziidi Trader allows users to buy and sell shares of listed companies without the need for a traditional brokerage account or Central Depository System (CDS) account, removing long-standing obstacles for small investors. Now, anyone with an M-PESA account can start trading quickly and securely.

President Ruto emphasized the impact on economic empowerment, saying:

“Through the seamless integration of stock trading into the M-PESA platform, millions of Kenyans, especially youth and women, will gain simple, affordable, and convenient access to investments. This places the tools of ownership and growth directly in their hands.”

The platform leverages M-PESA’s familiar identity verification and PIN security. Users opt in through the app, view real-time NSE prices, and execute trades using funds in their M-PESA wallets. Safaricom partnered with Kestrel Capital, a licensed broker, to handle the buying, selling, and settlement of trades, transforming a process that was once paperwork-heavy into a few simple taps.

Safaricom described the launch as a pivotal moment for digital financial services and compliance-enabled investing in Kenya. In a statement on social media, the company said:

“Today marks a shift in how everyday M-PESA users access the stock market, enabling direct trades of NSE shares without the traditional barriers that have kept many people on the sidelines.”

Kenya already leads Africa in mobile money adoption, but retail investors have traditionally avoided the NSE due to high costs, complicated procedures, and limited financial literacy. Ziidi Trader removes these barriers, integrating compliance management, risk assessment, and financial crime prevention standards into a trusted mobile platform. This empowers informal traders, young savers, and small business owners to build wealth and participate in the stock market.

Analysts note that the initiative could significantly deepen Kenya’s capital markets by increasing retail participation, promoting regulatory compliance, and broadening share ownership across socioeconomic groups. By linking mobile technology with compliance workflow and regulatory reporting, the platform also strengthens transparency and investor protection for first-time and small-scale traders.

President Ruto’s launch highlights the potential of technology to democratize access to investments. With Ziidi Trader, stock trading is no longer limited to elites—it is available to everyday Kenyans, including youth saving their first paychecks, women entrepreneurs, and market traders seeking to grow their wealth. Kenya is leading the way in Africa, showing how mobile platforms can serve as gateways to long-term financial inclusion and RegTech-enabled investment opportunities.