Safaricom, a mobile phone service provider, partnered with Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) for Agent to Agent transactions that will help improve availability of M-PESA in the market. Now authorized M-PESA agents can instantly access M-PESA when they make cash deposits at the bank. To obtain M-PESA, agents deposit cash into the M-PESA Holding Company bank account at Commercial Bank of Africa. When they need to convert M-PESA into cash (a cash withdrawal) agents initiate a request on the M-PESA system which then goes through an internal process before the money is transferred to the agent's bank account through an EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer). With the introduction of the KCB partnership, M-PESA Agents now have an alternative and quicker process to access M-PESA or cash at a nominal commission to the bank. Now service is available at all 145 KCB branches and is being introduced to the over 9,000 M-PESA agents around the country.Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Mr. Michael Joseph says M-PESA agents will be able to access M-PESA or withdraw money from designated agents comprising initially of major financial institutions. The first of these designated Agents is the KCB branch network. Mr. Joseph emphasized that Safaricom sees it as crucial for M-PESA to form strategic alliances with banks and other financial institutions to offer services that compliment each other to meet consumer needs. KCB also announced plans to designate one location within the Nairobi Central Business District by end of this month which will be open for seven days a week to give agents an opportunity to work all days of the week without running out of either M-PESA or cash to serve customers.