Kenya Power finally pulls the plug on the old MyPower app

There are some apps that you keep on your phone long after they’ve been replaced. Not because you dislike the new version, but because the old one still does something the new one simply can’t. I know many people who still have the old M-PESA and MySafaricom apps even after their merger to My OneApp.

For me, Kenya Power’s old MyPower app was exactly that.

When Kenya Power introduced the redesigned MyPower app late last year, it was clear the company had built a much better-looking application. It felt more modern, cleaner, and finally brought an interface that looked like it belonged in the new age. But despite all those improvements, the new app removed one feature I relied on almost every month.

And now, Kenya Power has officially pulled the plug on the old app.

The feature that kept the old app alive

When I reviewed the new MyPower app shortly after its launch, one omission immediately stood out. The old app allowed anyone to check an electricity bill without creating an account or signing in. All you had to do was:

• Open the app.
• Tap My Bill / My Token.
• Enter either an account or meter number.
• Instantly view the current outstanding bill.

It was one of those simple features you never think much about until it’s gone. Whether I wanted to check my own bill, confirm the amount due before sending money home, or verify another account before making payment, it took less than a few seconds. But the new MyPower app removed this convenience altogether, instead requiring users to sign in for account-related information.

Because of that, I kept the old app around. It continued working perfectly for months, becoming my go-to whenever I needed a quick bill lookup. However, that changed today.

Earlier this month, I successfully used the old MyPower app to check my mum’s electricity bill. So naturally, I expected it to work again this morning. Instead, after entering an account number, the app returned a message I hadn’t seen before.

Data not found. Kindly try our new website version for the best experience: selfservice.kplc.co.ke.

That wasn’t a temporary network error. Trying again produced the same result. The app itself still opens, and the menus are still there, but the backend service powering bill lookups appears to have been switched off completely. Effectively, Kenya Power has retired the old MyPower app.

The website has quietly become the best experience

Ironically, the message shown in the old app isn’t wrong. After trying Kenya Power’s Self Service website, it’s easy to see why the utility is steering users there. The website offers significantly more information than either mobile app. Users can access:

• Detailed account information
• Bills
• Payment options
• Billing concepts

In many ways, it’s now the most complete Kenya Power customer experience available. For desktop users, it’s arguably better than using an app altogether. But there’s still something missing.

The transition does raise an interesting question. If the old app could allow quick anonymous bill lookups for years, why remove that capability entirely? There are plenty of legitimate situations where someone simply wants to verify an outstanding bill before making payment. For instance, parents checking bills for family members, children paying electricity bills back home, landlords confirming balances, or even friends helping relatives top up electricity.

The feature was quick, practical, and didn’t require creating or managing an account. While Kenya Power’s push toward authenticated services makes sense from a security and customer management perspective, the anonymous bill lookup was one of those rare conveniences that genuinely simplified life.

For anyone who, like me, kept the legacy MyPower app installed solely because of its bill lookup feature, there’s now little reason to keep it around. The backend services that made it useful have been disabled. Going forward, your options are straightforward:

• Use the new MyPower app for account-based services.
• Or visit Kenya Power’s Self Service website for quick bill checkups without logging in.

The old app has effectively reached the end of the road.