A document claiming to be an official notice from Bolt Kenya began spreading on social media and messaging apps yesterday, stating that the ride-hailing company would shut down its operations in Kenya on June 8, 2026.
The notice cited an inability to address driver concerns while keeping the business sustainable, and was signed by someone identified as “Arthur Gacharia,” listed as Director of Operations.
Last night, Bolt Kenya responded directly, calling the document fraudulent. The company said it did not originate from Bolt or anyone authorized to speak on its behalf and that Bolt Kenya is fully operational with no plans to exit the market.
Dimmy Kanyankole, Bolt’s Senior General Manager for East Africa, signed the company’s official response. Bolt said it is investigating where the fake document came from and intends to act against whoever created and circulated it.
The fake notice is well put together in the sense that it mimics the format of a real corporate announcement. It references “extensive consultations,” thanks drivers and customers for their support, and tells users to make arrangements before the closure date.
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If you received it on a messaging app and did not know to question it, it would be easy to mistake it for real.
That kind of misinformation can cause real disruption. Drivers who depend on Bolt for their income might have started looking for alternatives or stopped logging in. Customers might have already switched to other apps. Neither needed to happen.
Bolt is asking people to stop sharing the document and to only trust updates from its official website, verified social media accounts, and the Bolt app itself.
