Self-drive car hire in Nairobi

Who can drive our cars

Anyone who is 25 or over and has held a full driving licence for at least 2 years can hire one of our cars and drive it themselves. Bring your licence and your passport or Kenyan ID; we check them at handover and keep a copy with your booking. Extra drivers are welcome: we add them to the rental agreement, and they need to meet the same rules. Only drivers named on the agreement may drive.

Visiting from abroad? You can drive in Kenya on a valid foreign driving licence for up to 90 days from arrival. If your licence is not in English, you also need an International Driving Permit. Staying longer than 90 days means converting to a Kenyan licence through NTSA (the National Transport and Safety Authority), so confirm with NTSA if you are staying longer. Our guide to driving in Kenya with a US, UK or EU licence explains what to check.

Which car for which trip

• Around town and on a budget: the Mazda Demio, Toyota Axio or Corolla Fielder.
• Business in Westlands, Upper Hill or Gigiri: the Mazda CX-5 or Toyota Harrier.
• A family of six or seven: the Mazda CX-8 on good roads, the Toyota Prado for long drives in the rains.
• Upcountry in style: the Land Cruiser V8.
• Your own safari: the Land Cruiser Safari, the only car we allow on game drives.

Every self-drive rate is in the table above, with the all-in total for 3 and 7 days. The Toyota Alphard is the one car that always comes with our chauffeur.

Where you can go

Nairobi and the surrounding counties (Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos) are always fine. Further than that, tell us your route when you book and we approve it: Naivasha, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri, Kisumu and the coast road are all common trips. Our cars stay on paved roads, with one exception: Murram (dirt) roads to family homes are allowed with our approval, as part of your area of use. Tell us the route when you book. Our road trips from Nairobi guide covers drive times and current roadworks.

Fuel, fines and tolls

You get the car with a recorded fuel level and return it with the same, like for like. If it comes back lower, we charge only the cost of topping it up at the pump price. Traffic and speed camera fines, parking and Expressway tolls are yours to pay, passed on at cost with no admin fee.

Police checkpoints

Traffic checks are common in Kenya. Stay calm, be polite and show your driving licence. Official fines are paid through eCitizen or a bank, never in cash at the roadside. If you are unsure, call us and put us on speaker. Our guide to driving in Nairobi has more.

If something goes wrong

Call or WhatsApp our 24/7 line straight away. If the car breaks down, we arrange a replacement car. After an accident, make sure everyone is safe, call us, and for anything involving another party, report it to the police within 24 hours. The Excess Fee for Damage is the most you pay if the car is damaged or stolen, written into your agreement before you drive: read our fair damage promise.

Deposit

You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.

Only these can be taken off:

• fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
• traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
• a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
• new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage

Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.

How it works at Urban Escape

• Delivered anywhere in Nairobi and JKIA: JKIA arrivals, your hotel or your home. Delivery and collection cost KES 1,000 ($8 USD / £6 GBP / €7 EUR) each way anywhere in Nairobi.
• Flight tracking: add your flight number and your driver works to the real landing time. The evening before you land, we send your driver's name and number on WhatsApp.
• A video walk-round: we film the car with you at handover and again at return, and you leave with a written return receipt.
• 2019 or newer cars: every car is a 2019 model or newer, serviced and cleaned before each hire. In most cases you will know the exact car assigned to you in advance: your booking page shows it, with its licence plate and photos.
• A replacement car if the car has a manufacturer (mechanical) issue.
• 24/7 support: one call or WhatsApp message reaches a person, day or night.

The rules that matter

• Drivers must be 25 or over and have held a full licence for at least 2 years. We can sometimes waive the 2-year rule; ask before you book.
• The minimum hire is 3 days.
• Mileage is unlimited on every car.
• Paved roads only. Game drives only in our Land Cruiser Safari.
• No border crossing: our cars stay in Kenya.

These are the headline rules. The rental agreement you sign for each booking is the one that counts, so check it before you drive. Our rental terms in plain words explain every clause.

Paying today

No credit card is required for checkout. You pay a refundable 30% reservation deposit within 2 hours of booking (card payment link or M-Pesa), and the balance when you see the car, by M-Pesa, bank transfer, credit card or cash. Cancellation is free until the car is handed over. Paying from abroad? Our guide to paying for car hire from abroad explains each option.