Why some ride-hailing drivers take home just Sh33 per trip

Ride-hailing drivers in Kenya say they are barely making money from trips, with some left with as little as Sh33 after paying for fuel and platform commissions, raising fresh concerns over fares charged by digital taxi companies.

The drivers say the rates offered by platforms such as Bolt do not reflect the cost of operating their vehicles, with commissions further eating into the little money they receive from each trip.

Wycliffe Alutalala, a board member of the E-Hailers Transport Umbrella Association, says even drivers using the smallest vehicles are struggling to meet their operating costs under the current pricing arrangements.

Speaking on Radio Generation on Wednesday, Alutalala cited figures presented by the Automobile Association of Kenya during government-led consultations, which showed that running a 650cc vehicle costs Sh33 per kilometre, excluding the driver's labour.

He said Bolt's rates were estimated at about Sh20 per kilometre, while the company deducts a 30 per cent commission from drivers' earnings.

To demonstrate how little drivers are left with, Alutalala gave the example of a seven-kilometre trip costing Sh140. From this amount, the platform would take approximately Sh42 as commission, leaving the driver with Sh88 before meeting other expenses.

After setting aside an estimated Sh55 for fuel, the driver would be left with only Sh33.

"33 shillings is what the driver is left with," he said.

The concerns come amid prolonged efforts by the government and industry players to establish a pricing framework that would make digital taxi operations more sustainable for drivers.

In May 2026, President William Ruto directed the Ministry of Transport, working alongside the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), to bring together stakeholders within 21 days to find a solution to pricing disputes in the sector.

Alutalala said the ministry responded by organising consultations involving driver representatives, ride-hailing companies, the Competition Authority of Kenya, the Automobile Association of Kenya and government officials.

However, the talks encountered a setback after Bolt moved to court to challenge the National Transport and Safety Authority (Transport Network Companies, Owners, Drivers and Passengers) Regulations, 2022.

The regulations, introduced through Legal Notice No.120 of 2022, set out requirements governing the licensing and operations of digital taxi companies, vehicle owners, drivers and passengers. They also introduced an 18 per cent ceiling on commissions that ride-hailing platforms could charge drivers.

On September 1, 2026, the High Court declared the regulations procedurally defective and unconstitutional, citing shortcomings in public participation and other legal requirements.

Although the court suspended the invalidation order for 12 months to give the government time to correct the defects, it stopped the enforcement of the 18 per cent commission limit during that period.

Alutalala said the ruling had made it harder for stakeholders to reach an agreement on fares and commissions, leaving drivers to contend with charges and rates they believe do not match the cost of providing the service.

Beyond the financial challenges, he also raised concerns over how ride-hailing platforms handle driver ratings and account deactivation when passengers cancel bookings.

He said some drivers end up losing their ratings when customers cancel trips due to traffic congestion or delays, even when the cancellations are beyond the drivers' control.