Bolt raised fares by 6 percent in Kenya on Tuesday, becoming one of the first major ride-hailing platforms in the country to formally pass rising fuel costs to passengers, marking a significant break from a market long defined by discounts and cheap rides.
The adjustment follows a fuel price revision by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which set the maximum retail price of super petrol in Nairobi at Kenyan shillings (KES) 197.60 per litre and diesel at KES 196.63 per litre from April 16. The petrol price reflected a rise of KES 19.32 per litre and diesel a rise of KES 30.09, with EPRA citing higher landing costs linked to global supply disruptions despite an 8 percent reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel.
The prices remain in effect until May 14, 2026, when EPRA is expected to issue its next monthly pricing review. Any further increase could push additional fare adjustments across Kenya’s ride-hailing sector.
Dimmy Kanyankole, Senior General Manager for Rides, East Africa at Bolt, framed the decision as a driver-first measure. “Our driver partners are at the heart of our platform,” he said, adding that the 6 percent increment was carefully modeled against rider price tolerance data to protect trip volumes while improving driver earnings.
Kenya is one of Africa’s largest ride-hailing markets, with thousands of drivers relying on platforms such as Uber, Little, and Bolt for full-time income. The sector has grown increasingly strained as inflation, fuel costs, vehicle financing expenses, and platform commissions eat into driver earnings.
Following the earlier fuel price hike announced by EPRA in April, online taxi operators in Kenya had declared a minimum fare of KES 450 for trips of up to 3 kilometres. However, that decision was not approved by ride-hailing platforms, meaning users did not experience the change at the time.
Bolt noted that internal data showed the 6 percent increase falls within riders’ price tolerance thresholds, protecting trip volumes and ensuring drivers continue to receive steady orders.
With the fare adjustment in effect, Bolt expects higher vehicle availability and more consistent service delivery across Kenya. For commuters, that could mean shorter waits and a more reliable daily ride, even as the broader cost of getting around edges higher.
The decision lands as Kenyan consumers already grapple with rising costs across food, electricity and general transport. President William Ruto recently announced a KES 6.5 billion intervention package to cushion Kenyans from rising fuel costs, while the National Assembly earlier reduced VAT on petroleum products from 16% to 8% in an effort to stabilise prices. Despite those measures, pump prices remain substantially above levels of a year ago.
