Topping up your Telkom Kenya line with M-Pesa is quick and doesn’t require finding a shop or scratch card — you can do it directly from your phone in under a minute using Telkom’s official pay bill number. Here’s exactly how to get it done, plus a couple of backup methods if the main option doesn’t work for you.
Method 1: Using the Telkom Pay Bill (777711)
This is the most direct and widely used method:
- Dial *334# on your phone, or open the M-Pesa app and go to Lipa na M-Pesa
- Select Pay Bill
- Enter Telkom’s business number: 777711
- When prompted for the account number, enter your Telkom mobile number (the line you want to top up)
- Enter the amount of airtime you want to purchase
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN and confirm
- You’ll receive an M-Pesa confirmation message, followed shortly by an SMS from Telkom confirming your airtime has been credited
Double-check the Telkom number you enter before confirming — since this method requires you to manually type the recipient number as the account number, a typo means your airtime goes to the wrong line.
Method 2: Using the M-Pesa App
If you prefer using the app instead of USSD:
- Open the M-Pesa app
- Tap Buy Airtime (sometimes labeled “Top Up,” depending on your app version)
- Select Other Number, since you’re topping up a Telkom line rather than a Safaricom one
- Enter the Telkom number and the amount
- Confirm with your M-Pesa PIN
Note that some versions of the app don’t expose the “Other Number” option for non-Safaricom networks. If yours doesn’t, fall back to the pay bill method above.
Method 3: Using the T-Kash App
If you use T-Kash rather than M-Pesa’s own app, the process is similar:
- Dial *160# or open the T-Kash app
- Select Buy Airtime
- Choose Buy My Phone (to top up your own line) or Other Phone (to top up someone else’s)
- Enter the Telkom number and amount
- Confirm the transaction
Third-Party Pay Bill Options
A few third-party services also facilitate Telkom airtime purchases through M-Pesa, sometimes with reduced or no fees for smaller amounts:
- 263263 — a pay bill option that’s free for top-ups under KES 100, also usable via a linked WhatsApp bot
- 4142145 — another pay bill option offering free airtime purchases for amounts under KES 100
For these, the process is generally the same: select Pay Bill from your M-Pesa menu, enter the pay bill number, then enter the recipient’s number followed by a hash and the amount where prompted (format varies slightly by provider, so follow the on-screen or SMS prompts you receive).
Before You Start
Make sure your M-Pesa balance actually covers the amount you’re buying. You can check your balance by dialing *150#, or by checking the balance directly in the M-Pesa app. It’s also worth knowing that if you have an active Fuliza overdraft that hasn’t been cleared, you may not be able to buy airtime until it’s settled — in that case, the alternative pay bill routes above can sometimes still work as a workaround.
Join The Discussion
Which method do you usually use to top up your Telkom line — the official pay bill, the M-Pesa app, or one of the third-party options? Share if you’ve run into any hiccups with a specific method, or a tip that made the process faster for you. If you’re running into an issue getting yours to work, feel free to ask — there’s a good chance someone here has hit the same snag and found a fix.
