Two things are certain. Death and Taxes. Get your affairs and finances in order if the thought of the state organization  Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFFA) claiming  your money after you die doesn't sit right with you.
If you have a significant amount  of money in your m-pesa account, ensure you have your next of kin registered as beneficiary. Here's how:
  • On your device dial *234
  • Select option 2: My M-PESA information
  • Input option 6: Next of kin
  • Enter your Bonga PIN
  • Enter your next of kin details i.e mobile number, ID.
In the unfortunate event  of your passing, your next of kin may choose to claim your m-pesa assets. Here's how they'll go about it:
Safaricom requires that the claimant should visit any of the retail centers and provide certain documents for inspection and approval before any funds can be released.
The documents

ID of claimant

This is the national ID of the person claiming the deceased's funds.
Death Certificate
This is a government document that proves that the person is deceased.
Statutory Declaration (Affidavit)
A document witnessed by an advocate commissioner for oaths stating certain facts including the claimant's relation to the deceased.
Grant of Letters of Administration (interstate)
This is a legal document obtained from any probate & administration court. The same is issued after the court is satisfied that a person has the capacity to act as a legal representative to the estate of a deceased person who did not leave a will appointing a personal representative.
Grant of Probate
This is a legal document issued by the court to an executor of the estate of a deceased person who left a will providing for what should happen to his estate and further appointing a personal representative (executor). The appointed person will go to court with the will and supporting documents and obtains a Grant of Probate.
Confirmation of Grant of Probate or Confirmation of Grant of Letters of Administration
This is a document issued by a court naming the beneficiaries and documenting their entitlement to portions of the estate of the deceased.
Letter from the Provincial administration
This is a letter from the chief, DC or PC confirming certain details about the deceased person and his beneficiaries. The confirmation will include the full names of the deceased, the area where the deceased was from and ALL the persons who are beneficiaries of the estate of the deceased.
The process
The claimant will be required to produce:
The claimants ID;
The deceased person's death certificate;
The Statutory declaration (Affidavit); and
Letter from provincial administration or
Confirmation of Grant of Letters of Administration (interstate) or
Confirmation of Grant of Probate
Upon receiving notification of the death of a subscriber the M-PESA account is frozen to prevent further dealings and to protect the estate of the deceased.
Once all the requisite documents have been provided, funds will be transferred into the beneficiaries entitled to the M-PESA account balances. 
The beneficiary must also provide a registered M-PESA account to receive the funds as Safaricom does not pay out money in any other form.
*Source

About The Author

Author
Maureen Kasuku

Maureen is our resident cat lady and Beyoncé stan. She writes about spas, brunch and ballet recitals but has never been to any. Moonlights as a social justice activist in her spare time. She knows things and is obnoxiously opinionated on the internet but not in real life

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