On 23 January 2023 the Kenyan High Court ruled that commercial banks could resume charging transfers from bank accounts to mobile money operators. The charges had been suspended in 2020 when, due to the pandemic, the Central Bank of Kenya decided to set favorable conditions for the promotion of cashless and online payment methods, at a time when business were under lockdown.
As the pandemic situation gradually improved, banks and mobile money operators pressured the government to halt the suspension and allow the resume of transfer charges. After an agreement between the Central Bank of Kenya, the commercial banks and the mobile money operators in December 2022 about the introduction of reduced charges, a private citizen filed a lawsuit claiming that charges should not be borne by ordinary customers. Earlier in January 2023 a court order suspended the resume of charges while the main proceeding is pending. On 23 January, however, the High Court overturned such suspension and pointed out that, while the decision Is waiting determination before another judge, the court should not intervene in the matter, especially since some of the parties involved (i.e., the banks) are yet to be enjoined in the case and have not been able to elaborate their arguments yet.
