My Op-Ed on Kenya’s digital taxi fare debate has been published in The Star today.
The headline captures the point clearly:
Digital taxi now too important to be regulated casually.
This debate has moved very quickly from driver frustration and social media commentary into a much bigger national conversation about public policy, platform work, passenger affordability, driver welfare, competition, and the future of Kenya’s gig economy.
My view remains simple.
Regulation is needed.
But it has to be smart regulation.
Drivers are under real pressure from fuel, financing, insurance, maintenance, vehicle rent, traffic, idle time, and the broader cost of living. That cannot be ignored.
At the same time, minimum take-home fares must be designed carefully because the passenger still pays the final fare. If fares rise too sharply, demand could fall, trips could move off-platform, and drivers may end up earning more per ride but doing fewer rides overall.
That is the balance Kenya now needs to get right.
This is no longer just a digital taxi issue. It is a test of how we regulate digital work, mobility platforms, and the wider gig economy.
Read the full Op-Ed in The Star here:
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