Piloting Q2 2026 · Mombasa

Cashless fares.
Built for matatus.

We're building Kenya's first conductor-first fare collection system — starting with a controlled pilot in Mombasa this quarter. No more cash leakage. No more end-of-day disputes.

Built on M-Pesa Daraja · Compatible with NTSA TIMS · Compliant with DPA 2019

Kenya is ready. The sector isn't.

The infrastructure exists. M-Pesa works. Smartphones are everywhere. NTSA is pushing digital. The only piece missing is the right app — built for conductors, not consumers.

96%
Adult Kenyans with M-Pesa
70K+
Matatus on Kenya's roads
3.5M
Daily commuters served
95%
Sector still cash-only

Cash leaks. Every day.

Every Sacco in Kenya knows the same four headaches. We're solving all of them in one app.

Revenue leakage

Conductors skim cash before owners ever see it. Reconciliation is impossible without records.

Slow boarding

Counting cash and giving change at every stop kills daily round-trips and fuel margins.

No data visibility

Owners can't see which routes earn, which drivers perform, or what's actually being collected.

Daily disputes

Without receipts, every stage becomes an argument. Trust between passengers and conductors erodes.

14
CURRENT ROUTE
LIKONI ⇄ BAMBURI
+
×

One app.
Built for the conductor.

TWENGO runs on the smartphone the conductor already carries. No new hardware, no training week. Designed alongside actual conductors from the Mombasa route.

  • QR check-in, check-out Passengers show their M-Pesa QR. Conductor scans. Boarding time and stop logged automatically.
  • GPS-based fares Distance auto-calculated by KSh per kilometre. No haggling. Same fare every time.
  • Works offline Network drops? Every ride stored locally and synced automatically when back online.
  • Vehicle transfer protocol Bus broken down? Hand all passengers to another bus with one QR scan. Distances carry over.

Built by people
who know the route.

A multi-disciplinary team across Kenya, the UAE, and Tunisia — combining local sector knowledge with global product expertise.

WO
Wesley Ogamba
Country Lead · Kenya
DA
David Alizadeh
Product & Engineering
YK
Yassine Krimi
Operations
MA
Mohammed Omar Abdulle
Partnerships

From boarding to payment in seconds.

Four steps. Under three seconds per passenger. The line moves.

Passenger boards

Passenger shows their M-Pesa QR code from their phone.

Conductor scans

Tap green +, scan the QR. Stop and time logged. Counter ticks up.

GPS tracks trip

Distance measured in real-time. Fare auto-calculated by KSh/km.

Auto-payment

At alighting, M-Pesa charges the exact fare. Receipt issued instantly.

Building it the right way.

We could try to launch nationally and break things. We're doing the opposite: starting with one route, learning, then scaling.

PHASE 01
Q2 2026
LIVE NOW

Mombasa Coast Pilot

Controlled pilot with 3-5 select Saccos along the Likoni → Mariakani corridor. 12 stops mapped.

PHASE 02
Q4 2026

Mombasa Full Rollout

Expansion to all participating Mombasa Saccos. KRA integration begins.

PHASE 03
Q2 2027
PLANNED

Nairobi & Kisumu

Replication to two new counties. NTSA TIMS API integration completed.

PHASE 04
2028
PLANNED

National Coverage

Available across all 47 counties. Treasury and KRA receive sector reports.

Become a launch partner.

We're inviting a small group of forward-thinking Saccos, regulators, and operators to shape the future of public transport payments in Kenya.

SACCOS

3 pilot Saccos

Forward-thinking Mombasa operators ready to test cashless on 3-5 vehicles for 90 days.

What we offer Free onboarding · No setup fees · Direct M-Pesa settlement · Founding-partner pricing for 24 months
GOVERNMENT

Regulatory dialogue

Briefings with NTSA, KRA, and County Transport teams to align on compliance and data-sharing.

What we offer Anonymized sector data · TIMS-compatible API · KRA-aligned tax records · DPA 2019 compliance
PRESS & RESEARCH

Sector observers

Journalists and academics interested in how digital payments transform informal transport.

What we offer Pilot site access · Anonymized data for research · On-record founder interviews

What you might be wondering.

Is TWENGO live right now?

The app and backend are built and tested. We're now onboarding our first 3-5 pilot Saccos in Mombasa for a Q2 2026 controlled pilot. Full M-Pesa integration goes live once Safaricom Daraja credentials are approved.

Does it replace the conductor?

No — it gives them superpowers. Conductors still board passengers, manage capacity, and handle disputes. TWENGO just removes the cash-counting from their job.

What if passengers don't have smartphones?

Every M-Pesa customer can generate a QR via *334# USSD on any phone — including feature phones. No smartphone required on the passenger side.

How much does it cost the Sacco?

KSh 500 per vehicle per month for full dashboard access. Plus a 2% platform fee on completed fares (includes M-Pesa transaction cost). No setup fees during the pilot phase.

What happens to passenger data?

All transaction data is hosted in Kenya and handled under the Data Protection Act 2019. Passengers receive M-Pesa receipts as standard. No personal data is shared with third parties.

What about NTSA and KRA compliance?

TWENGO is being built TIMS-compatible from day one. We're in early dialogue with both agencies and offering structured sector reports as the pilot scales. KRA eTIMS exemption requested during pilot.

Want to shape the future of Kenya's matatus?

Whether you're a Sacco owner, a regulator, or an investor — we want to hear from you. Real conversations, no marketing pitch.