Food Delivery Software in Kenya — Launch a Platform

M-Pesa changes the design

In Kenya, mobile money is the default, not the alternative. That means your checkout should lead with M-Pesa via Daraja, your refunds should return to the same wallet, and your rider pay should land in M-Pesa rather than cash. A platform that treats mobile money as an afterthought will feel foreign immediately.

Daraja integration is a development task. Confirm the scope before you buy — the platform supports configurable gateways, but STK push and callback handling are Kenya-specific work.

Nairobi first

Kilimani, Westlands, Lavington and Kileleshwa give you restaurant density and short distances. Eastlands and the wider metro are a second phase. Mombasa is a separate launch, not an extension — different geography, different seasonality, different rider supply.

Boda boda economics

Riders on bikes, often working shifts around other work. Fuel and traffic are the two cost drivers. A 3 km radius with a 30-minute promise is realistic in Nairobi traffic; 20 minutes is not.

Delivery fees

Restaurants here are used to aggregator rates in the 20s. A clear delivery fee works, and predictable reporting — weekly, on a fixed day — is a stronger selling point than a lower percentage.

Cost in shillings

$299 once, roughly KSh 38,000 at current rates, plus hosting. No monthly licence, no per-order fee to us.

Compliance basics

Register the business, keep restaurant food-handling certificates on file, and publish a clear refund policy. Payment providers will ask for both during onboarding.