Bolt recently kicked off a COVID-19 vaccination drive in Kenya encouraging drivers to protect themselves against the spread of COVID-19 and increase vaccine uptake in the country. The initiative allocated 1,000 vaccines for Bolt drivers upon secur4ing Johnson and Johnson vaccine doses.
The vaccination drive is ongoing and facilitated by Bolt in collaboration with Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and other government approved vaccination facilities. The vaccination facilities include Metropolitan Hospital, EABL Clinic, Mitchell Cotts (JKIA), 4G Capital in Karen and Parklands Mosques.
Bolt has been at the forefront of the fight against the spread of COVID-19 since March 2020. The company initiated several campaigns geared towards managing the spread of the virus. This includes offering financial and operational support to the Wheels of Life initiative that provided access to hospitals for women in labour who had obstetric emergencies during curfew hours. This helped to reduce maternal deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic and also offering free rides to health workers during curfew hours.
Bolt also launched the Bolt Protect ride category, which included installing over 800 protective screens in select taxis operating on the platform. This proactive initiative significantly offered protection to passengers and drivers against the spread of COVID-19 during the early phase when face masks were not available at scale.
“We remain mindful of the severity and the effects of this virus on the economy and continue to look into ways to accelerate vaccine uptake. We’ve secured 1,000 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which we’ve begun providing drivers on our platform in collaboration with various government approved vaccination facilities in Nairobi. This move aims to boost the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country and support the government’s effort that will assist in upholding the growth and sustainability of the economy,” said Micah Kenneth, Regional Manager, Bolt EA.