Bolt, the mobility app in Europe and Africa, hosted a Kenyan government delegation led by PS Anne Njoki Wang’ombe, Principal Secretary, State Department of Performance and Delivery of Services, at the company’s headquarters in Tallinn during the delegation’s attendance at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit.
The Bolt team, led by CEO and Co-Founder, Martin Villig discussed the expanding ride-hailing and gig economy sectors with the Principal Secretary. They took the opportunity to present Bolt’s micromobility solutions, such as e-scooters and e-bikes, and how the company has worked with cities and governments to make cities better for people. The discussions gravitated around potential collaboration between Bolt and the Kenyan government.
(TOP: Martin Villig, the Bolt co-founder with PS Anne Njoki Wang’ombe, other Kenyan delegates and Bolt staff, during their visit to the Bolt Headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia).
This visit comes after Bolt’s global leadership, led by Markus Villig, visited their local teams in South Africa and Kenya in February 2023. These interactions allowed the local teams to engage with senior government stakeholders, including the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretary for ICT, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, and the Governor of Nairobi County.
Martin Villig said: “This meeting showed that our vision for better cities is aligned with what the government aims to achieve in Kenya. We are committed to forging strong partnerships that support local communities, drive economic growth, and enhance the quality of life for all urban citizens. We discussed how to bring more sustainable vehicles to the streets in Kenya and adapt the local infrastructure to the needs of the future of mobility.”
During the visit in February, Bolt announced plans to invest €500 million in its operations on the continent over the next two years. The funds will be used to expand Bolt services in Africa and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023.
PS Anne Njoki Wang’ombe , Principal Secretary, said: “Exploring the mobility solutions provided by Bolt has been an eye-opening experience. The Kenyan government continues to work together towards our national development goals, by building partnerships with forward-thinking industry leaders like Bolt. Through our conversations today, we’ve identified opportunities for ongoing collaboration that perfectly align with our government’s vision of improving transportation infrastructure, championing sustainability, and ultimately enhancing the lives of our citizens.”
Bolt also recently announced that it has surpassed 150 million customers in over 45 countries and 500 cities. These customers are spread across its suite of mobility products, which include ride-hailing, micromobility (scooter and e-bike rental), food delivery, grocery delivery, Bolt Drive, a free-floating car-sharing service, and Bolt Business, a corporate mobility service. Bolt also announced there are now over 3.5 million partners (drivers and couriers) using the app to earn a living, including over 1 million in Africa alone.
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