It’s time to ‘bonyeza’ mama nguo, who is just a click away

Hunting for casual labourers including mama nguo, electricians and plumbers in the neighbourhood is not an easy task.

It’s even worse for those living in posh and gated communities in Nairobi’s leafy suburbs.

If you fall into that category and your sink has been clogged for the last three months or your garden needs to be groomed, then you have an option of finding someone to do the job just a click away thanks to a mobile application dubbed SwifAide.

The idea was hatched by George Theuri, a business-minded electronics and computer graduate who was prompted to come up with app last year in May when the mama nguo who used to clean his house was taken ill and he had no one to do the job.

And now, with just the  touch of a button on your mobile phone, the app can link you with a mama nguo or any other casual labourers  once you register and request for the service from equally registered ‘maids’ on the other end.

 “The app is a two-sided marketplace that connects clients and aides. Both have to download the application from the playstore and fill in the requirements, including identifications, The service providers have to give more information about themselves than customers” he told City Biz.

Like several application currently available for taxi booking, SwifAide allows clients to search for the kind of person they are looking for, depending on what they want to be fixed.

Through the application, one can get also get hold of mechanics, nannies, gas delivery, drinks delivery, plumbers, carpenters and messengers, among others in a move that Theuri thinks is another way of eradicating poverty.

He explains that, “A client goes to the app and can see the aide’s availability for a particular service then initiates a service request that can either be accepted or rejected depending on the schedule of the person you’re looking for.”

Theuri explains that it doesn’t require one to be online all the time. The app is linked to mobile money transfer service to enable easy payment for is services.

“From there, it is up to the two parties to agree on the amount to pay and bargaining is allowed, since the payment will be made through mobile money transfer service. Fifteen per cent of the payment will come to my side for facilitating the connection between the two parties.”

According to the businessman, those who have registered their services with SwiftAide are young and unemployed professionals and stay-at-home mums, since the app enables one to build a business out of the platform.

“So far, the business is doing well because we are available across the country. Most of our clients are people who are tech savvy and those in the urban areas, but we are spreading the word to make everyone’s life easy,” Theuri said.