Bolt, the Estonian mobility platform, has partnered with the government of Mombasa County, Kenya’s second-largest city, to launch a programme aimed at helping 400 delivery riders in the county obtain formal licences.

The initiative will use Kenya’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework, which allows workers who have gained skills through practical experience to have those skills assessed and formally recognised. Riders enrolled in the programme will complete 21 days of accredited training at a certified driving school before receiving licences from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), based on demonstrated competency. Nationally, the RPL pathway is anchored in the Kenya National Qualifications Framework and overseen by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority, a body established under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework Act of 2014 to recognise skills acquired outside formal education and training.

The programme forms part of a broader partnership between Bolt and the Mombasa County government that began with a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2026. Under that agreement, both sides are working to improve compliance and safety in the transport sector, support youth employment, and help transport businesses adopt digital platforms.

The partnership comes as Kenya continues to grapple with how to formally recognise and regulate its motorcycle and app-based delivery economy. According to a 2025 parliamentary report, more than 2 million riders are active in the country’s boda-boda sector, making it a major source of employment. The report also noted that many operators remain improperly documented or professionally trained. Bolt and Mombasa County say the programme is intended to bring experienced delivery workers into the formal transport system through recognised training and licensing.

“We are very happy to be partnering with Bolt as we launch this training for our delivery riders,” said HE. Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Governor of Mombasa County. “Our partnership with Bolt demonstrates the value of public-private collaboration in delivering practical solutions that improve the lives of our residents. By formally recognising the skills our riders already have, and giving them a clear path to a licence and a livelihood they can be proud of, this programme reflects our vision of a competitive, inclusive and future-ready Mombasa.”

The programme is designed for delivery riders who have practical experience but do not yet have the formal qualification required for licensing. Under the RPL framework, those existing riding skills are assessed against recognised standards.

Bolt has also committed KES 1.5 million ($11,591) to support the partnership with Mombasa County. The funding will support rider and driver compliance, training and licensing, as well as the digitisation of transport businesses across the county.

The partnership also includes the sharing of trip and demand data with the county government. The data is expected to help officials understand transport patterns and plan infrastructure, including the possible placement of electric-vehicle charging points.

“This is a deliberate policy intervention to correct a long-standing imbalance between the skills thousands of young riders already have and the formal recognition the system has never given them,” said Benjamin Sulle, public policy manager at Bolt. “A licence has to be earned through demonstrated, certified competency, which is why every rider on this programme completes 21 days of accredited training before they are licensed. Once they are, the opportunity extends well beyond food delivery.”

The programme comes at a time when the economics of operating on mobility platforms remain under pressure in Kenya. In May, Bolt raised ride-hailing fares in the country by 6% after rising fuel prices increased drivers’ operating costs. Petrol prices in Nairobi had reached KES 197.60 ($1.53) per litre after Kenya’s April fuel-price review, while ride-hailing drivers had staged protests and threatened strikes in the months leading up to the increase.

Against that backdrop, Bolt said the partnership with Mombasa County is also intended to support a more compliant and sustainable transport ecosystem for riders and local businesses. The licensing drive also sits alongside wider regulatory activity around app-based transport in Kenya: in 2024, the State Department for Transport published draft regulations for digital ride-hailing platforms that proposed mandatory licensing of operators and caps on the commissions they can charge drivers.

“At Bolt, we believe the future of mobility is built through meaningful partnerships. The investment made into the Recognition of Prior Learning is a demonstration of our commitment to supporting Mombasa County’s vision for a modern, safe and technology-enabled transport ecosystem,” said Arthur Gacharia, senior operations manager, Rides, Kenya.

“By working together to promote compliance, empower riders, and help local businesses embrace digital opportunities, we are investing in the long-term growth and resilience of the county’s economy.”

Neither Bolt nor Mombasa County has indicated whether the licensing programme will be extended beyond the initial 400 riders or rolled out to other counties.

In July, Bolt also integrated its ride-hailing service with ChatGPT, allowing users across Africa and global markets to book rides through OpenAI’s chatbot.