Equity Bank issues update on widespread system downtime that hit customers

Equity Bank Restores Services Following Widespread System Downtime

Equity Bank Kenya has announced the full restoration of its digital and branch banking services following hours of unexpected network downtime that left thousands of customers across the country unable to process financial transactions.

The service disruption, which began early Thursday morning, affected key customer-facing channels. Access to mobile banking applications including Equity Mobile and the Equitel USSD code (*247#) was intermittently blocked, while Automated Teller Machine (ATM) networks, point-of-sale card payments, PesaLink transfers, and cross-platform mobile money withdrawals experienced widespread delays and total failure.

As the disruption unfolded during peak morning transaction hours, frustration mounted among retail clients and small business owners who rely heavily on Equity's digital ecosystem for daily trade, wage disbursements, and routine payments.

Social media platforms were inundated with customer inquiries seeking clarity on pending transfers, failed airtime purchases, and debited account balances that failed to reflect on recipient accounts.

Reports circulating on social media linked the system outage to a technical malfunction at the lender’s primary data center, where security firewall infrastructure reportedly experienced critical operational downtime.

Equity Bank issued a preliminary statement acknowledging the system instability, reassuring the public that its technical teams were actively addressing the root cause.

Shortly after, the bank confirmed that normal operations had been fully established across all digital and physical channels.

"Dear Member, All our services have been restored. We thank you for your patience and your continued support," the lender announced in an official public statement.

Following the restoration, Equity Bank reassured impacted users that all incomplete, debited, or reversed transactions would be processed automatically.

The bank advised customers whose accounts showed discrepancies due to interrupted sessions to allow time for reconciliation or to reach out to official support channels and local branches for immediate resolution.

Alongside the operational update, the financial institution issued a fraud warning urging account holders to maintain strict cybersecurity awareness during service recoveries.

Disruptions of this nature frequently trigger social engineering attempts, where fraudsters exploit customer confusion through fake support calls or phishing messages designed to harvest confidential banking credentials.

"Please remember, Equity calls you from only ONE number: 0763 000 000," the bank emphasized in a fraud advisory statement. "DO NOT engage with anyone asking for your personal banking details. Equity will never ask for your bank details, PIN, Password, OTP, or Card information on the phone or via SMS."

Equity Bank Kenya is intensifying its effort to transition small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from primary raw material production into higher-value processing and integration within global supply chains.

The lender’s new strategic focus emphasizes value addition, climate-smart agricultural practices, and direct market access aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of grassroots enterprises both regionally and internationally.

The approach was outlined during an executive engagement hosted by Equity Bank's leadership, which brought together officials from the Narok County Government and members of the regional business community.

According to Equity Bank, Narok County a region whose economy has historically relied on wildlife tourism around the Maasai Mara National Reserve and rain-fed wheat farming is rapidly expanding into a diversified commercial and agro-processing center.

Speaking at the event, Equity Bank Managing Director Moses Nyabanda highlighted that driving agricultural growth requires shifting focus from basic yield expansion toward securing premium, market-driven prices for farmers and business owners.

“We are seeing farmers adopting smart agriculture, moving away from how our forefathers farmed,” Mr. Nyabanda said. “But we do not just want to increase yields; we want to connect you to the market. If you are a livestock farmer, we want to see how we can link you to markets that buy processed leather for designer bags, rather than selling raw hides for a fraction of the price.”