Ride-hailing company Bolt says it has invested more than KSh19 billion in Kenya since entering the East African market in 2016, as the platform marks a decade of operations in the country.
Over the 10-year period, the mobility company has connected more than eight million riders and provided income opportunities for over 170,000 drivers and couriers. Its operations have also expanded beyond Nairobi to 19 towns across six regions of Kenya.
The milestone comes as digital platforms take on a bigger role in Kenya’s labour market, particularly for people earning through ride-hailing, delivery and other flexible forms of work. The 2026 Bolt Kenya and Ipsos Gig Economy Report estimates that about 1.5 million people participate in the country’s gig economy.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the study places the annual value generated by Kenya’s gig economy at more than KSh130 billion, with ride-hailing accounting for about 20 per cent of gig activity and ranking behind e-commerce.
The report puts average monthly earnings for drivers on Bolt at KSh63,000, while the highest-earning 20 per cent make up to KSh184,000 a month. It also found that 53 per cent of drivers surveyed regarded ride-hailing as their main source of income.
The earnings figures, however, do not necessarily represent drivers’ take-home income. Individual returns can vary depending on working hours and expenses such as fuel, vehicle financing, insurance and maintenance, making operating costs an important part of assessing income from platform work.
Bolt’s footprint now covers Nairobi, the Coast, Western Kenya, Central Kenya, the North Rift and the Mount Kenya region.
Electric mobility has also become a growing part of the company’s Kenyan operations. Bolt says seven out of every 10 electric vehicles operating in the country in 2026 are on its platform, although the figure is a company estimate and has not been independently verified against national registration data.
The company’s decade in Kenya reflects the broader expansion of app-based transport across the country, where ride-hailing has moved beyond providing an alternative means of urban mobility to becoming a significant source of livelihood for thousands of workers.
