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Equity Bank, one of Kenya’s largest financial institutions, has once again found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after a major system outage crippled its digital and ATM services across the country on Saturday, November 1.
Thousands of customers were left stranded, unable to access their money or complete transactions through the bank’s mobile app, USSD, Equitel, ATMs, or even PDQ machines. The widespread failure left many Kenyans frustrated and questioning the reliability of a bank that prides itself on being a leader in digital banking innovation.
Customers Locked Out of Their Accounts
The disruption, which the bank described as an “intermittent service downtime,” affected nearly all key platforms including the Equity Mobile App, Equity Online, EazzyBiz, USSD (*247#), and Equitel.
Customers who attempted to log in to the app were met with an error message reading “System Downtime,” a phrase that has now become all too familiar to users who have experienced similar disruptions in the past. While the bank quickly issued a statement acknowledging the problem and assuring customers that its technical team was working to restore normal operations, the damage had already been done.
Many customers had transactions pending, some were trying to withdraw cash in emergencies, and others were conducting business that required immediate payments.
Public Outrage and Frustration Online
The outrage was immediate and widespread. Social media platforms were flooded with complaints and angry messages directed at the bank.
On the official Equity Bank Kenya Facebook page, users demanded accountability and answers. “Give an alternative way of accessing funds if mobile banking and the app will always be failing,” wrote one frustrated customer, Caleb Okari. Another, Kennedy Juma, expressed disbelief, saying, “So you’ve gone fully mobile? USSD is not working, I’m disappointed.” Others shared their struggles, including failed withdrawals and card errors, while some wondered how a bank of Equity’s size could allow such a crucial system to fail without a backup plan.
Deeper Concerns Over Digital Banking Dependence
The situation exposed a deeper issue within Kenya’s fast-growing digital banking ecosystem overreliance on unstable systems. As banks push customers toward online and mobile platforms, many have quietly reduced their physical branch operations, leaving customers vulnerable when systems crash. For a bank like Equity, which boasts over 17 million customers, even a few hours of downtime translates to chaos for thousands of businesses and individuals who rely on its digital infrastructure daily.
A Recurring Problem for the Bank
Ironically, the latest outage came just weeks after the bank had announced a planned six-hour maintenance on its “send money to other banks” service scheduled for September 23 to 24.
During that time, customers were assured that all other services would remain functional. However, Saturday’s blackout proved that even unplanned downtimes can paralyze a banking system that millions depend on.
A Call for Accountability and Reliability
This latest incident is not just about technical failure; it is a wake-up call on accountability and the cost of convenience. Banks like Equity must not only invest in expanding digital reach but also strengthen system resilience and customer support. In an age where access to one’s money is a right, not a privilege, repeated outages are unacceptable.
Customers deserve reliability, transparency, and the assurance that their hard-earned money is always within reach not trapped behind a “system downtime” notice.
