President Dr. William Ruto presided over the official launch of Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. This new platform, integrated directly into M-PESA, aims to transform the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) into an accessible utility for every Kenyan with a smartphone.
During the launch at the NSE in Westlands, President Ruto described the event as a proud moment for the country. He emphasized that Ziidi Trader will break down the long-standing barriers that have historically excluded youth and women from the tools of ownership and growth.
The President highlighted that the platform places the power of investment directly into the hands of ordinary people. To showcase the immediate use of the platform, he announced that Kenyans will be able to buy shares in the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) IPO directly through their phones starting Friday, February 13, 2026.
All you need to know about Ziidi
Ziidi Trader is a mobile investment platform located within the Safaricom M-PESA application. It allows users to buy and sell shares of companies listed on the NSE directly using their M-PESA balance. It represents the second phase of Safaricom’s Ziidi wealth management brand, following the successful launch of the Ziidi Money Market Fund earlier in 2025. Safaricom has streamlined the traditionally complex process of stock trading through a partnership where Kestrel Capital acts as the sole broker.
The platform is designed for simplicity and speed, removing the intimidation factor that is often associated with the stock market. You can find the Ziidi Trader under the Financial Services tab in the M-PESA App. There is no paperwork needed to register as the platform uses existing M-PESA KYC credentials and user’s PIN to authorize an instant Opt-In.
Unlike traditional trading, with Zidii Trader you do not need to open a personal CDS account. Instead, Safaricom operates an omnibus CDS account that holds the shares on behalf of all users, assigning individual portions to each investor through the app. Users can search for companies by their full names, tickers and logos, see real-time prices, and choose to buy or sell at their convenience. With this, Kenyans can trade from the comfort of their homes without visiting a broker or the exchange.
It is notable that the shares are held in an omnibus account, this means that you do not own them directly in your own name. This then brings about lack of portability as you cannot move shares bought on Ziidi to another broker, you are essentially bound to M-PESA for those specific investments. And like other trading platforms, shares are high-risk, long-term investments that can result in paper losses immediately after purchase due to market fluctuations.
For the average investor, the stock market is now as accessible as buying airtime thanks to M-PESA. This launch is expected to provide a massive liquidity injection for the NSE, which has suffered from low activity despite having over 1.4 million registered investors.
However, this level of ease has a chance of introducing the risk of impulse trading, where investors might treat the stock market like a casino, which is high probability for many Kenyans. Investors should view Ziidi Trader as a tool for long-term wealth creation and not a get-rich-quick scheme. Despite all these innovations investors can still consider opening their own CDS accounts for direct ownership as their portfolios grow.
Also read: KBA Advocates CBR Hold at 9.00% Ahead of MPC Decision
