Kenyans Alarmed Over Millions Stuck in Money Transfer Service

File image of Kenyan bank notes
File image of Kenyan bank notes
File

A number of Kenyans have been left stranded after their payments were held by PayPal, an American company that facilitates online payments especially for freelancers and Kenyans who usually work online.

With the hashtag Paypal trending online, the victims stated that they were unable to make transactions while others complained that they had lost their accounts without notice. 

"It’s mostly an identity issue. On PayPal, as soon as I receive $3000 per day, my transaction is flagged," a netizen lamented.

"I have a friend whose Ksh200,000 has been stuck in a PayPal account for quite some time," another weighed in.

A screenshot of an account that is temporarily blocked.
A screenshot of an account that is temporarily blocked.
Twitter

The freelancers also complained that they had tried to reach out to the company for follow up but they are yet to get any response. 

Others shared screenshots of their blocked accounts showing accounts that had temporarily been suspended while others had been completely blocked from doing business with the payments company.

Most of those who use Paypal offer services such as academic writing, research, developing websites and many others. 

According to Ajira, a digital program under the Ministry of ICT, online work is completed by people living in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe with thousands of Kenyans participating in the world of online work.

As of 2017, 40,000 Kenyans had already been registered on leading freelance platform Upwork. The platform helps connect clients and freelancers.

Freelance writing in Kenya can bring recognition to an author and one is able to earn an honest living from it.

Currently, there are many platforms where one can make writing succeed, depending on how useful and popular the platform is.

Assignments are posted on these platforms and the freelancers compete for clients. Once the assignments are completed, the clients pay for the services via digital platforms like PayPal, WorldRemit and Western Union.

Kenyans walking on busy Nairobi streets
A photo of Kenyans walking on the busy streets of Nairobi
Photo
Kenya Pics