The physical BebaPay cards can be purchased and topped up with credit at various locations across the city. The service doesn’t require a bank account – just a Google account – and the cards and phones work without an internet connection.

“Cashless will lead to greater transparency, accountability, organisation… and ultimately better public transportation infrastructure,” says Denis Gikunda from Google’s Nairobi office.

BebaPay is part of Google’s broader strategy to “simplify payments”, he says, and improve lives of people in emerging markets.

“Transport was a great place to begin, because it captures all the problems – a lot of transactions, frequently, all cash-based.”

Eventually, he says, BebaPay will not just be used for transportation, but for payment services across the city – from taxis, to public toilets and small retail kiosks. Read more