Stima Sacco, Pesalink launch Kenya’s fastest sacco-to-bank instant payments

Under the new service over 220,000 Stima Sacco members can now send, receive up to Sh999,999 per transaction instantly

by Tabnacha Odeny

Kenya20 November 2025 - 11:17

In Summary

The partnership, unveiled on November 18, 2025, positions Stima Sacco among the first cooperatives in the country to fully integrate its operations with a national instant payments platform.
Officials said the move bridges the gap between traditional SACCO services and modern banking systems.

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Stima Sacco has partnered with Pesalink to launch Kenya’s fastest instant payment service for Sacco members, marking a major step in the digitisation of cooperative financial services.

The deal enables more than 220,000 Stima Sacco members to send and receive up to Sh999,999 instantly through the M-Stima App and USSD.

The funds reflect in seconds, allowing members to move money between Sacco and bank accounts without delays tied to traditional processing.

The two institutions said the integration streamlines salaries, supplier payments, loan disbursements, and savings transfers. It also improves accuracy and reconciliation processes for Sacco staff by providing digital receipts and real-time confirmations.

Stima Sacco CEO Dr. Gamaliel Hassan said the partnership is a major milestone.

“We became the first Sacco in Kenya to connect fully to a national instant payments platform,” he said.

“For us as a Sacco, this collaboration is more than technology, it is a commitment. A commitment to inclusion. A commitment to convenience. A commitment to ensuring that every member, every business, every chama, and every staff member experiences the ease and reliability of modern digital finance.”

Under the new system, business members and chamas can receive customer payments instantly into their Sacco accounts from any bank, app, or USSD platform.

Members can also cash in or cash out through a wider ACICO agent network instead of relying only on Sacco branches.

The rollout includes name validation—a feature that checks the recipient’s name before a payment is completed. Officials said this reduces errors, reversals, and pressure on reconciliation teams.

The service also expands opportunities for merchants, SMEs, and households by supporting school fees, salaries, emergency transfers, and daily support without branch-hour limits.

Pesalink CEO Gituku Kirika said the rollout sets a new standard for Saccos.

“By combining the extensive membership of Stima Sacco with Pesalink’s instant payment capabilities, the partnership creates Kenya’s first SACCO-to-bank instant payment ecosystem at scale,” he said.

“We are setting a new benchmark for Saccos by enabling instant payments interoperability with all the leading mobile and USSD payment and banking channels.”

Pesalink processed more than Sh1.1 trillion in 2024, with over 8.2 million instant transactions. It maintains 99.99 per cent switch uptime and integrates with more than 80 banks, telcos, fintechs and Saccos.

The network supports consumer and business payments, including bulk transactions, school fees, rent and salary disbursements.

Stima SACCO, founded in 1974, has grown into a nationwide financial cooperative with 12 branches and a strong portfolio of credit and savings products. The partnership positions it as a digital leader in Kenya’s Sacco sector and expands real-time financial inclusion across the country.