This archive report was first published on 9 January 2020.
On January 9, 2020, SWVL, the Egypt-based ride-hailing app, marked a significant expansion of its services in Kenya by adding Eldoret to its list of long distance routes.
Following the quiet launch of its commuter services to Naivasha, Meru, and Nakuru routes during the festive season, SWVL's general manager, Shivachi Muleji, stated, “Long distance travel is a viable business segment for us and you will see a lot more investment into it as we get into this year.”
Passengers traveling from Nairobi to Eldoret will be charged Sh1,200, while those traveling to Nakuru or Naivasha will pay Sh1,000 on each of the routes. Muleji further emphasized, “When you think about the level of travel between Nairobi and Nakuru, for example, on a daily basis, you start to see why we would invest in it. Our core market will always remain the Nairobi commuter, but we will seek growth in new business areas.”
SWVL has also added several new routes to its ever-growing network around Nairobi county, including Ruai, Kiserian, and Ngong, bringing the total connections to 55.
Notably, SWVL recently resumed its services after a period of disruption caused by the firm's move to comply with the National Transport and Safety Authority rules.
