Safaricom has explained why customers using its Ziidi Money Market Fund (MMF) service may be unable to submit a second savings unlock request while waiting for an earlier withdrawal request to be processed.
The clarification followed a query by an X user, @chacha_erric, who on Thursday, November 5, 2026, questioned whether it was possible to unlock Ziidi savings twice within 72 hours.
“Can’t I unlock my ziidi savings twice within 72hours?” the customer asked.
Responding to the query, Safaricom explained that customers cannot initiate a new unlock request while an earlier request is still pending.
“Hello Erric. You cannot create a new unlock request while a previous unlock request is still pending. A new lock or unlock request can only be created after the previous unlock request has been completed or cancelled successfully,” the telecommunications company responded.
The clarification means that the restriction is tied to the status of an existing transaction rather than necessarily requiring every customer to wait a fixed 72 hours before making another request.
Customers whose previous unlock requests have not been completed or successfully cancelled must wait before initiating another transaction.
The clarification is particularly important because Ziidi has a separate feature that allows customers to lock money within their investment accounts.
Unlike ordinary withdrawals, which involve redeeming investment units, the locking feature allows customers to set aside funds to reduce the temptation of spending money before reaching their savings goals.
According to Ziidi’s published product information, locked funds do not earn additional interest while locked, and customers must first initiate an unlocking request before accessing the money.
The unlocking process comes with a 72-hour waiting period. Customers can also only unlock the entire amount they have locked rather than withdrawing a portion of it.
This means there are two separate issues customers need to understand:
Safaricom’s response addresses the second issue. Even if a customer wants to initiate another request before the earlier one is completed, the system will not allow it.
A customer must therefore wait until the existing unlock request has been completed or successfully cancelled before submitting another instruction.
Ziidi is a Money Market Fund integrated into Safaricom’s M-PESA platform, allowing customers to invest and manage their money using their mobile phones.
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) approved the establishment of the fund on November 27, 2024, as a Collective Investment Scheme.
Safaricom partnered with three investment firms to offer the product: Standard Investment Bank, ALA Capital Limited and Sanlam Investments East Africa Limited.
Customers can access Ziidi through the M-PESA application or by dialling *334#.
The product allows users to invest from as little as Ksh100, making it accessible to customers who want to grow their savings without opening a conventional investment account.
According to published Ziidi product information, customers can transfer money between their M-PESA wallets and Ziidi without transaction charges, while the minimum withdrawal from the investment is Ksh10.
Safaricom provides the technological platform, while licensed fund managers are responsible for managing and administering the investments.
Safaricom’s published Ziidi terms and conditions also provide for a maximum 72-hour period for receipt of money following successful redemption of investment units.
Under Section 11 of the terms, customers can redeem their investment units either partially or in full, with payment to their M-PESA accounts expected within a maximum of 72 hours after successful redemption.
However, this is distinct from the locking feature, which requires customers to initiate an unlocking request before accessing money they have deliberately set aside.
The two processes should not be confused because unlocking funds and redeeming investment units are different instructions within the investment product.
For customers experiencing difficulties with pending requests, Safaricom’s latest clarification means they should first establish whether the earlier instruction has been completed or successfully cancelled before attempting another one.
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