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Verified 12 September 2026

How to Pay School Fees with Safaricom Lipa Karo

By Arnold Ochieng · School Fees Kenya hub · paybillke is an independent guide and is not affiliated with School Fees Kenya.

Lipa Karo is Safaricom's school-fees service. When a school signs up, it is given a business number that parents and guardians pay fees to through M-PESA. The service runs either on a Safaricom Lipa Karo paybill or through partner paybills operated by Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank and Pesapal, which is why your school's number may be a KCB or Co-op paybill.

The steps

  1. On M-PESA choose Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
  2. Enter the school's Lipa Karo business number.
  3. Enter the student's admission number as the account.
  4. Enter the amount and your M-PESA PIN, then confirm.
  5. You get an SMS confirmation, and so does the school.

How to get your school's number

Ask the school bursar for the Lipa Karo business number and the exact account format, or use the school-code lookup from the bank that holds the school account. Not every school is on Lipa Karo, only those that have signed up, so confirm your school offers it before relying on it.

Good to know

Enter the admission number exactly, with no spaces, because a wrong account is the top reason fees do not reflect. Keep the confirmation SMS as your proof. For help, Safaricom customer care handles Lipa Karo queries, and the school handles which number and account to use.

Frequently asked

Is Lipa Karo the same as a bank paybill?

It can be. Lipa Karo runs on Safaricom or partner paybills at KCB, Co-op and Pesapal.

Is every school on Lipa Karo?

No, only those that signed up.

What account do I use?

The student's admission number.