Safaricom has clarified whether Kenyans can acquire laptops through its Lipa Mdogo Mdogo payment plan, following an enquiry from a customer seeking to purchase a computer through the service.
In a response shared on social media on Saturday, November 14, the telecommunications company said its Lipa Mdogo Mdogo arrangement does not currently cover laptops.
The clarification came after a customer identified as Babu Jaymo asked Safaricom whether the company offers laptops through the instalment-based payment plan.
Responding to the enquiry, Safaricom explained that the service is exclusively available for smartphones, ruling out the possibility of purchasing laptops through the arrangement.
“Hello Jaymo, sadly no, we don’t have laptops on Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, it’s only on phones. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the company stated.
The response clarifies the range of devices customers can acquire through the payment arrangement, which allows eligible buyers to access smartphones and pay for them in instalments rather than making the full payment upfront.
Safaricom has explained how customers seeking to acquire smartphones through its Lipa Mdogo Mdogo arrangement can determine which devices they qualify for, following an inquiry from a customer interested in purchasing an iPhone through the service.
The clarification came on Monday, November 9, 2026, after an X user, @Newtownplayer, approached the telecommunications company seeking to know whether they could obtain an iPhone through the instalment payment arrangement at Safaricom outlets, specifically mentioning TRM and Garden City shopping centres.
“Can I get this type of an arrangement of Lipa Mdogo for an iPhone in any of the Safaricom shops? Like TRM or Garden City?” the customer asked.
Responding to the inquiry, Safaricom directed the customer to use its USSD service to establish their eligibility and the type of phone they could acquire.
“Hello @Newtownplayer, to view the phone you qualify for, dial *544#, select Lipa Mdogo Mdogo and follow the prompts,” the company responded.
Lipa Mdogo Mdogo is a smartphone financing programme introduced by Safaricom in 2020 in partnership with Google to help customers acquire smartphones without paying the full purchase price upfront.
The initiative was designed to make smartphones more affordable, particularly for customers who could not comfortably purchase internet-enabled devices through a single payment.
Under the arrangement, qualifying customers make an initial deposit and clear the remaining amount through smaller instalments spread over an agreed repayment period.
According to Safaricom’s published terms and conditions, the financing period can extend to 12 months, with repayment arrangements designed to accommodate different customer payment capacities.
The programme initially focused on affordable Android smartphones, including the Neon Ray Pro, which was introduced with a Ksh500 deposit followed by daily payments of Ksh20.
The initiative was part of Safaricom’s broader efforts to increase smartphone penetration and encourage more customers to access mobile internet services.
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