A debate has been unfolding in Kenya over the story of Steven Muikia, a former banker who believes that his idea was used without recognition to create one of the country’s most widely used banking services.
What started as a single post on social media has grown into a conversation across different platforms, sparking discussions about how Kenya handles intellectual property and the protection of innovators.
Muikia worked at Cooperative Bank between 2010 and early 2015, where part of his role was managing transfers between accounts. After leaving his job in January 2015, he developed a new concept that he felt could transform interbank transfers by making them instant and accessible.
He named his work “AllinOneBanking Innovation” and “AirMoneyVirtualBankTransferSolutionInnovation.” To protect his work, he registered it with the Kenya Copyright Board.
Confident in the idea, he forwarded the plan to the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenya Bankers Association in May 2015, both of which acknowledged receipt of his documents.
Later that year, the Kenya Bankers Association introduced PesaLink, a service designed to allow real-time money transfers between banks.
The system became popular quickly, providing millions of Kenyans with an easy way to send and receive money through mobile apps, ATMs, and bank branches.
Muikia, however, felt sidelined. He believed that the service was built directly on his idea yet he had not been included, compensated, or even acknowledged.
Attempts to engage the institutions were unsuccessful, and in 2019 he filed a lawsuit against the Kenya Bankers Association, the Central Bank, and Integrated Payment Services Limited, the company running PesaLink.
He sought Sh1 billion in damages. During the case, Muikia presented documents such as his copyright registration and letters confirming receipt of his proposal.
Despite this, the High Court dismissed the case in July 2023, ruling that copyright does not protect ideas but only their expressions. The judgment also raised questions about whether Muikia might have created the idea while still employed at Cooperative Bank, a claim he disputed.
Frustrated with the outcome, he tried to file an appeal, but he says he has been delayed by the absence of a written judgment, even after more than two years.
Complaints to the Judicial Service Commission have also not yielded results.
Today, Muikia survives by selling serviettes and tissues along busy highways in Nairobi, including Thika Road. Videos shared online show him explaining his situation, saying that despite fighting for years he has been left struggling.
His posts on X continue to highlight his frustrations, with many Kenyans picking up the story as an example of how individual innovators often lose out to large institutions. Some users have described his struggle as a reflection of a system that offers little protection to inventors, while others have shared his story to call for reforms.
The banks, on their part, maintain that PesaLink was developed independently to address financial needs and provide an alternative to mobile money services such as M-Pesa.
Reports around the time of the lawsuit indicated that the system was part of broader reforms in the banking sector to make services faster and more affordable.
Although the legal outcome favored the banks, Muikia’s experience has opened up questions about how Kenya protects intellectual property.
It has drawn attention to the vulnerability of small creators and the need for stronger safeguards in a country where digital innovation continues to expand.
His case remains a talking point online, and while it is unclear whether his appeal will move forward, the story continues to highlight the challenges faced by individuals trying to push new ideas in an environment dominated by powerful institutions.
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