How to pay KPLC via M-PESA (postpaid 888888, prepaid 888880), 2026

KPLC (Kenya Power and Lighting Company) has been the highest-volume utility M-PESA paybill since 2009. This guide covers both routes: postpaid via paybill 888888, prepaid via paybill 888880. Verified against Kenya Power's official channels as of August 2026.

Which paybill do I need?

Look at your meter or your last KPLC communication:

• If you receive a monthly bill (paper, email, or SMS) with an account number and total owed, you are postpaid. Use 888888 with your KPLC account number.
• If you buy tokens to add units to a meter (the meter shows how many units you have left), you are prepaid. Use 888880 with your 11-digit prepaid meter number.
• If in doubt, look at the meter itself. Prepaid meters have a keypad and a display showing remaining units. Postpaid meters do not.

Postpaid customers: paybill 888888

If you receive a monthly KPLC bill, you are a postpaid customer. Use paybill 888888 with your KPLC account number.

1. On your phone, dial *334# or open the M-PESA app.
2. Select Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
3. Enter Business Number: 888888.
4. Enter Account: your KPLC account number from your bill (usually 8-12 digits, no spaces).
5. Enter the amount due, or a partial amount (KPLC accepts partial payments).
6. Enter your M-PESA PIN and confirm.

You'll receive an M-PESA SMS confirmation with a transaction code. KPLC's system clears your bill within 1-15 minutes typically, though month-end peaks can slow it. If your bill still shows unpaid on MyPower after 24 hours, log out and back in to force a refresh; the portal syncs daily rather than in real time.

Prepaid (token) customers: paybill 888880

If you have a prepaid meter, use paybill 888880 with your 11-digit prepaid meter number (printed on the meter body, not on any bill).

1. Lipa na M-PESA → Pay Bill → Business Number 888880.
2. Account: your 11-digit prepaid meter number.
3. Enter amount in KES (minimum KES 50).
4. Enter PIN, confirm.
5. You'll receive two SMS messages: the M-PESA confirmation and a separate KPLC token SMS containing the 20-digit token. Type the token into your meter to top up.

Paid the wrong paybill?

The single most common KPLC payment error is paying 888888 when you needed 888880 (or vice versa). Your money did go to KPLC, but it landed in the wrong book (postpaid vs prepaid).

1. Call KPLC on 97771 (free from Safaricom) with your M-PESA transaction code and both meter/account numbers.
2. KPLC can move the payment between their postpaid and prepaid books. The transfer typically takes 24-48 hours.
3. Do NOT pay again in the meantime. Duplicate payments compound the reconciliation work and slow the fix.

What it costs

KPLC payments are standard M-PESA Paybill fees on the customer-pays side (Excise Duty of 15% bundled into the fee bands). No special KPLC surcharge on either paybill.

Lipa Mdogo Mdogo (flexible-pay tokens)

Lipa Mdogo Mdogo is KPLC's flexible payment plan for prepaid meters: buy tokens daily or weekly in small amounts rather than larger top-ups. The same prepaid paybill (888880) is used; the difference is plan enrollment with KPLC, not a different paybill.

Eligibility requires registering at a KPLC office or via their customer portal. Once enrolled, your meter accepts smaller daily token denominations. Useful for households on irregular income.

Five common KPLC payment issues

1. Wrong paybill (888888 vs 888880). Explained above: call 97771 with the M-PESA code; reallocation takes 24-48 hours.
2. Wrong account number. Money goes to KPLC but is not allocated to your account. Call KPLC with the M-PESA transaction code; reallocation takes 1-3 working days.
3. Wrong meter number on prepaid. Tokens get generated for the wrong meter. KPLC can re-issue if you call within 24 hours.
4. Token does not fit (“invalid token” on the meter). Usually means you bought tokens for a different meter than the one in front of you. Call KPLC on 97771.
5. Bill cleared but no SMS received. Sometimes happens. Check your bill balance via KPLC USSD *977# or the KPLC MyPower app.

Paying KPLC from abroad

Diaspora users can pay both KPLC paybills directly via Wise, Sendwave, LemFi, WorldRemit, or Remitly. Choose the "Pay to a paybill" option, enter 888888 for a family member's postpaid bill or 888880 for their prepaid meter, plus the account or meter number. The provider handles FX and routes the payment.

See our diaspora paybill guide for the full corridor-by-corridor breakdown.

Part of the paybillke Kenya Power hub, covering tokens, bills, outages and token fraud.