Nairobi, May 31 -- For years, informal "lifting" has quietly existed across Kenyan estates and highways. Neighbours heading in the same direction share rides, motorists stop to pick stranded commuters, and lately, WhatsApp groups are coordinating transport during peak hours.

Now, a Kenyan mobility startup is attempting to formalise that culture into a structured carpooling platform.

"We are not a car-hailing application; it's not a taxi," says Eric Mutui, the CEO and co-founder of G-Rani Mobility. "It's just bringing people who are moving in the same direction together, basically to save on time and money."

Mr Mutui says the idea for the platform was born in late 2022 during a period of high fuel prices and heavy rains in Nairobi.

He ...