Uber drivers in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, have gone on strike to protest a decision by the taxi-hailing tech company to cut prices by more than 35 percent in a bid to wade off growing competition in the East African nation. Safaricom, the dominant telecom in the country, has also launched its own taxi hailing app, Little Cabs.
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Information was confirmed overnight that UBER, under pressure from the auto owners and drivers contracted by them over the recent radical slashing of fares, has now given in to demands to raise their pay in Kenya.
Uber dropped the price per km to 35 shillings from 60 shillings ($0.59) last week. About a hundred protesters blocked traffic along a main Nairobi highway.
“More people are requesting more rides with Uber”, the company told Reuters.
Drivers weren’t consulted on the fare reduction and want the company to revert to the old prices, Kenya Taxi Digital Association head Emmanuel Kasina said by text message.
“No, Uber should not go, we need it. We have the specific issues we want addressed”, he warned before another chorus was started, “Uber must shape up or ship out!”
Since Uber launched in Kenya past year, drivers have signed up en masse.
Uber however said in a statement that they have improved the services and they are open for dialogue. Additionally, Uber has had more competition in the region than it anticipated.
Uber drivers who chose to continue with business were not spared by the protestors, who coerced them to join the demonstration in some instances leaving customers stranded. “There are many ways driver-partners can let us know if they have any individual concerns”.
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Uber said the protests today don’t represent the views of thousands of operators on the platform, and that “multiple focus groups” and “one-on-one feedback sessions” were held over six weeks leading up to the price cut.
