Is Lipa Mdogo Mdogo more expensive than paying cash?

Yes. You pay a deposit plus daily instalments, and the total is normally well above the cash price. Multiply the daily amount by the number of days and add the deposit to see the real figure.

“KSh 110 a day” — but what is the total?

Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, M-KOPA and Watu quote you a daily figure. They rarely quote the total. Put the numbers in below and see what the phone actually costs.

Deposit (KSh)Each payment (KSh)How oftenNumber of paymentsCash price (KSh)

You will pay in total

KSh 43,150

KSh 23,650 more than paying cash — 121.3% extra

365 days to own it. Deposit KSh 3,000 + 365 × KSh 110.

Arithmetic only — it does not include late fees, insurance add-ons or lock-out penalties, which can raise the real total further. Ask the provider for those in writing.

Cash prices to compare against

Samsung Galaxy A15 (128GB/4GB RAM)KSh 19,500
iPhone 13 128GB (second-hand)KSh 55,000
Tecno Camon 30 (new)KSh 22,000
Samsung Galaxy A14 (new)KSh 16,500
Infinix Note 40 (new)KSh 22,000
Lipa Mdogo Mdogo Phones (Safaricom)KSh 15,000

Is financing a bad idea?

Not necessarily. If you do not have the cash today, a daily plan may be the only way to own a phone at all, and having one can be worth more than the premium. What is not fair is being shown a daily figure and never a total.

Before signing, ask three things: the total including deposit, what happens if you miss a payment, and whether the phone gets locked remotely.