M-PESA Ethiopia says access to its newly launched telco-agnostic application, M-PESA Lehulum (M-PESA for everyone), has been blocked by Ethio telecom.
In a public statement dated December 5, 2025, M-PESA Ethiopia said the app is “currently not accessible on smartphones using mobile data services managed by Ethio Telecom,” leaving some customers unable to log in, transact, or retrieve funds.
The company said it is engaging regulators to resolve the issue and restore access, framing the disruption as a matter affecting consumer choice and service continuity.
The development comes days after M-PESA Ethiopia announced the launch of M-PESA Lehulum on December 1, 2025, which was a major step towards removing traditional network barriers.
According to M-PESA Ethiopia, the block started on December 3, two days after the launch.
“People were suddenly locked out of their accounts. These are people who have already signed up and deposited money. They are calling us saying they are unable to access their money,” M-PESA Ethiopia told Shega in a statement.
Shega tried to access M-PESA Lehulum with an Ethio telecom SIM card and mobile data and, as of the time of writing, was also unable to do so. Shega was unable to obtain a comment from Ethio Telecom before publication.
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