Available for new projectsSoftware engineer · Nairobi, Kenya

I build the software that moves people.

Routing engines, travel booking systems and multi-tenant SaaS, designed carefully, shipped to production, and kept running.

I’m Arden Bouetoumoussa. I work across the stack with Laravel, Spring Boot, React and Next.js on PostgreSQL/PostGIS, from the data model and the APIs to the map on screen.

Selected work

Elsewhere

GitHubCode & open source LinkedInCareer & recommendations UpworkHire me on Upwork

Book a 30-minute intro call

Free · Google Meet

Next available

FocusGeospatial EngineeringCloud ArchitectureMobility & NavigationMulti-tenant SaaS

Selected work

Products I designed, built or led, with the problem, the approach and what changed.

Mobile Application · Job Role

Mova App • Transport et Mobilité Urbaine

Mova is a cross-platform mobile application designed to simplify group bus bookings for events such as funerals, weddings, and organized trips, contexts where transport coordination is often complex and time-consuming. Beyond this immediate use case, the product is conceived as the foundation of a broader mobility ecosystem, with a long-term vision to unify and digitize public transport systems in Congo-Brazzaville and, eventually, Central Africa. The app introduces a flexible user experience that combines on-demand group transport with emerging concepts like Mova Pass, bridging informal transport coordination and structured mobility systems.

From group bus bookings to a connected mobility experience.

Laravel API · React · React Native · PostgreSQL · Redis

Read the case study Visit

Open Source

Vision Hub

A privacy-first, offline-first 3D biometric and forensic facial recognition engine that performs high-accuracy face matching and multi-modal liveness detection entirely on local hardware.

Enterprise-grade 3D edge biometrics with zero cloud dependency.

Python · OpenCV · ChromaDB · SQLite

Read the case study Visit

Mobile Application

Navigo: Navigate the city you live in

Navigo is a public-transit navigation platform designed for Nairobi’s matatu and bus network. The mobile app enables riders to discover stops, plan multi-leg journeys, and navigate their trips through an integrated mapping experience. Powered by a Laravel API, an OpenTripPlanner routing engine, and Kwame, a conversational AI assistant, Navigo aims to make Nairobi’s complex transport network more accessible, understandable, and easier to navigate.

Making Nairobi’s Matatu Network Navigable

Public Transit · Mobility Tech · OpenTripPlanner · AI Assistant · Nairobi Matatus

Read the case study Visit

SaaS

Personal Website & Content Management System

A personal website and custom CMS built to showcase my professional experience, projects, and technical writing. Includes a dedicated admin dashboard, blog management tools, and a file manager for managing website content and media.

One platform to manage my professional identity and digital presence.

TypeScript · Next.js · React · Prisma

Read the case study Visit

SaaS · Job Role

Mova Manager • Smart Mobility Management

Mova Manager is a custom-built operations and mobility management platform developed for Mova Mobility. It centralizes transport operations, reservations, fleet and personnel management, customer support, payments, and financial workflows within a unified back-office system. The platform also powers the Mova Pass ecosystem, connecting subscription management and bus-line configuration with NFC card registration and reading for subscription identification and control. Built to support the company's evolving operations, Mova Manager brings together digital tools for day-to-day transport management and the administration of connected mobility services.

From Transport Operations to an Integrated Mobility Management Platform

React · Laravel API · Google Maps API · Mapbox API · Rest APIs

Read the case study Visit

Mobile Application · SaaS · Client

Elikia Fund • Digital Financial Services for Informal Entrepreneurs

Elikia Fund is a digital financial services platform built for informal-sector entrepreneurs in Congo-Brazzaville. It combines cash-flow tracking, protected savings, group savings (tontines), and a financial profile based on users’ recorded activity, supported by web, mobile, backend, and administrative systems.

Turning Everyday Business Activity into a Financial Identity

Laravel · React · React Native · MySQL · CPanel

Read the case study Visit

Job Role

Mova Mobitlity • Transport et Mobilité Urbaine

I designed, developed, and deployed the official website for Mova Mobility, a startup focused on redefining urban mobility through accessible, tech-driven transport solutions. The platform serves as the company’s primary digital interface, presenting its vision, services, and products while enabling user interaction and talent acquisition. The website was also architected as part of a broader ecosystem, integrating seamlessly with internal tools such as the Mova Manager platform. Mova Mobility’s mission is to simplify urban transportation through real-time tracking, subscription management, and user-centric mobility services.

A Digital Gateway to Móva Mobility’s Connected Ecosystem

React.js · Laravel API · SEO · Figma

Read the case study Visit

SaaS

Navigo Console • Run your SACCO like a modern operator

Navigo Console is the internal operations and administration platform powering the Navigo transit ecosystem. Built for authorized personnel, it centralizes GTFS data management, geospatial network planning, schedule optimization, fleet operations, financial ledgers, and access control in a unified back-office application.

The Operations Hub for Modern Transit Networks

Admin Dashboard · Transit Operations · GTFS Management · Network Planning · Fleet Ledger

Read the case study Visit

SaaS · Client

Fly Gasal • Discover Your Next Adventure

Fly Gasal is an evolving travel booking platform designed as the first foundational layer of a broader tour and adventure ecosystem. While the current implementation focuses on flight booking, the long-term vision is to expand into a complete travel experience platform, including tours, activities, and end-to-end trip planning. The system is built with a scalable architecture, robust API integrations, and a clean user experience to support future expansion beyond flights.

Laravel API · React.js · PKFare API · Amadeus API · Travelport API

Read the case study Visit

Client · SaaS

Tapla • Restaurant Management & Point-of-Sale Platform

Tapla is a restaurant management platform that connects point-of-sale operations, table management, kitchen order tracking, and waiter workflows with a digital guest ordering experience. It brings essential restaurant operations into a unified system, helping coordinate orders from placement to preparation and service.

Connecting Every Step of the Restaurant Order Lifecycle

React · Laravel · TypeScript · Redis · Docker

Read the case study Visit

Client

Seabar Store Locator - Interactive Map Integration

Developed a custom Store Locator for SeaBar, a sustainable haircare brand, to map and visualize retail partner locations alongside ocean trash cleanup sites, enhancing product discoverability while reinforcing the brand’s environmental mission through an interactive mapping experience.

Javascript · Google Maps API · Shopify · TailwindCSS

Read the case study Visit

Experience

Where I’ve worked and what I shipped there.

Download résumé

Jun 2025 – Present
1 yr 5 mos · Contract
Software Engineer Technical Lead
Mova Mobility SARL Remote
Lead the technical direction and end-to-end development of Móva’s digital mobility ecosystem, spanning web and mobile applications, transport operations, fleet management, and Móva Pass subscription services integrated with NFC cards.
- Delivered an integrated mobility platform spanning fleet management, transport operations, passenger reservations, and subscription services.
- Launched production mobile applications on Google Play and the Apple App Store, making Móva’s booking services publicly accessible.
- Designed and deployed Móva Pass, a subscription-based transport service for students and professionals, initially launched across two bus routes.
- Established the technical integration between Móva Pass subscriptions, digital user accounts, and NFC cards, connecting physical cards with the platform’s subscription-management workflows.
Project ManagementAPI DevelopmentPublic TransportLean ThinkingLaravelReact.js
Read the full story3 projects
Apr 2025 – Present
1 yr 7 mos · Freelance
Software Developer
Freelance Remote
Design and develop custom digital products for clients across travel, hospitality, financial services, e-commerce, and business software, translating operational requirements into practical applications, integrated workflows, and scalable software solutions.
- Delivered custom software solutions addressing business needs across travel, hospitality, financial services, retail discovery, and digital content management.
- Developed travel-booking functionality for Flygasal, establishing a foundation for a broader travel platform designed to expand beyond flight reservations.
- Built restaurant-management workflows for Tapla, connecting point-of-sale operations, table management, kitchen ticket tracking, waiter workflows, and guest ordering.
- Created an interactive store-locator experience for SeaBar, combining retail partner discovery with the visualization of ocean-cleanup locations.
LaravelReact.JsMysqlPKFareTravelportAPI Rest
Read the full story5 projects
Jan 2024 – Feb 2025
1 yr 2 mos · Part-time
Founder & Lead Developer
Koverae Technologies Ltd (Nairobi, Kenya) On-site
Bootstrapped a business management SaaS platform; managed the product roadmap and directed the full-stack architecture, deployment, and maintenance using Laravel, React, and React Native while mentoring a small team.
- Built and launched Ndako serving hospitality and business management use cases.
- Established a working product and engineering foundation from scratch, including architecture and development standards.
- Delivered a multi-platform system (web + mobile) with shared backend infrastructure.
- Improved development efficiency through structured roadmap planning and team coordination.
LaravelLivewireMySQLLeadershipTeam ManagementProject Management
Read the full story
Sep 2023 – Dec 2023
4 mos · Intern
Web Development Intern
Visibility242 On-site
Developed and maintained websites and web applications for clients, managing end-to-end delivery, performance, and platform reliability.
- Delivered multiple production-ready websites and applications aligned with client requirements and timelines.
- Improved website performance and load times, enhancing user engagement and retention.
- Ensured high platform availability and reliability through consistent maintenance and monitoring.
- Reduced client operational issues by proactively identifying and resolving technical bottlenecks.
HTMLTailwindCSSLaravelLivewireCpanelVPS
Read the full story

Writing

Notes on engineering, product and shipping.

All stories

Arden BOUET

Verifying a transit pass when the inspector has no signal

How we designed offline Mova Pass verification for bus journeys in Brazzaville, why asymmetric cryptography makes local verification possible, and the engineering trade-offs behind secure offline access.

Oct 178 min read120

Arden BOUET

Mova Mobility: building a transport platform for Brazzaville, one backend and five repositories

Mova Mobility is a transport platform built for Brazzaville, bringing group bookings, fleet management, and digital transport passes into one connected ecosystem.

Oct 176 min read70

Arden BOUET

GTFS and Public Transport Network

Understanding GTFS and Its Role in Modern Public Transport Networks

May 142 min read75

Have something in mind?

Tell me about the problem. I reply within a day, usually with questions.

I build the software that moves people.

Routing engines, travel booking systems and multi-tenant SaaS, designed carefully, shipped to production, and kept running.

I’m Arden Bouetoumoussa. I work across the stack with Laravel, Spring Boot, React and Next.js on PostgreSQL/PostGIS, from the data model and the APIs to the map on screen.