Mombasa: Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir on Wednesday presided over the licensing and onboarding of 400 delivery riders onto the Bolt platform, in a ceremony held at the Tononoka Social Hall aimed at equipping the county’s youth with sustainable sources of income.
According to Kenya News Agency, the initiative forms part of the governor’s broader strategy to partner with the private sector to open up practical pathways to employment for young people in the coastal county. ‘Our youth do not lack ambition; they need opportunities, and we are determined to open those doors,’ Nassir stated, addressing a large audience of newly registered riders dressed in orange reflector jackets.
The riders were licensed through a process based on a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework, which acknowledges the skills and experience acquired by riders in the ride-hailing and delivery sector, eliminating the need for lengthy fresh classroom training. This model provides them with the necessary credentials to operate on the Bolt Food delivery platform, granting them formal entry into Mombasa’s expanding gig economy.
The onboarding is part of a partnership between Mombasa County and Bolt that began with the company’s market entry in April 2023, when it enrolled its first couriers in the city. The collaboration was significantly deepened in September 2025, when Governor Nassir hosted a Bolt delegation to strategize on scaling operations and expanding rider integration across the county, with RPL-based licensing identified as a central pillar of the partnership.
Currently supporting over 1,000 riders county-wide, Bolt has been working to strengthen its presence in Mombasa by utilizing public market spaces as operational hubs. This approach is designed to facilitate more young people joining the platform and accessing decent work. The initiative is structured as a public-private partnership with the county providing venue and regulatory support while Bolt manages onboarding, credentialing, and platform access.
Governor Nassir reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusive growth, emphasizing that such partnerships are part of a larger agenda to unlock jobs, support innovation, and create an enabling environment for private investment in Mombasa. The event, attended by hundreds, was met with enthusiasm from residents, celebrating the job opportunities created for the county’s youth.
