The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Motorcycle-based deliveries have driven a sharp increase in demand for Bolt’s parcel delivery service in Kenya, with orders climbing more than 130 percent between January and July 2026.
The surge in motorcycle deliveries — introduced by Bolt as a standalone product category in February — has helped the platform surpass one million deliveries in Kenya in under a year following its formal relaunch.
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Overall, Bolt Send orders grew by more than 135 percent over the seven-month period, making Kenya the company’s fastest-growing established Send market globally. Kenya overtook Ghana in two-wheel delivery volumes in May and, by August, had pulled ahead by 67 percent on a like-for-like basis, according to Bolt.
Dimmy Kanyankole, Senior General Manager for Rides in East Africa, said reaching one million deliveries in under a year signals that Kenyans need delivery services that are reliable, accountable, and tailored to how they live and conduct business. He noted that as the only app-based delivery platform holding a full National Courier Operator license from the Communications Authority, Bolt is well positioned to scale the service responsibly.
Bolt said the motorcycle delivery category has been complemented by four-wheel deliveries, introduced in Nairobi in March to handle larger and bulkier parcels. The growth reflects increasing reliance on motorcycle-based last-mile logistics for moving goods across Nairobi, which accounted for more than 95 percent of Bolt Send orders recorded between January and July.
The average Bolt Send delivery covers 9.4 kilometres, with both businesses and individuals using the service to transport stock, documents, and parcels across the city. The service has since expanded to Mombasa, where motorcycle deliveries launched in August. Customers can also send parcels to long-distance bus termini for onward transport to destinations such as Kisumu, Nakuru, and Meru.
This expansion follows Bolt’s entry into Kenya’s formal courier market. The Communications Authority of Kenya gazetted the company as a National Courier Operator in August 2025, paving the way for Bolt Send’s formal relaunch the following month. Bolt subsequently received its full National Courier Operator licence in July 2026, enabling it to pursue corporate, retail, and e-commerce delivery contracts.
Friday remains the busiest day for the service, with delivery volumes running 23 percent above the daily average. Bolt has also rolled out optional PIN verification for parcel handovers, requiring a unique code to confirm completion of each delivery.
