Francis Muli
Ride-hailing Taxi app, Uber has announced plans to expand into five additional towns in Kenya. The app which has been available in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Thika is expanding to Kisumu, Eldoret, Naivasha, Elementaita and Gilgil.
“We have soft-launched the cities and we will be going as the product becomes more developed. We see the potential in these cities and are confident that they will grow and become very reliable for us,” said Uber head of East Africa, Imran Manji.
Rival apps including Little Cab, Bolt and other smaller apps have managed to expand their services to several towns outside of Nairobi ahead of Uber. Uber’s entry into Kisumu has been occasioned by the availability of an international airport as well as business and leisure activities which have given it a city status. The company said the rates will be dependent on the particular towns.
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“Rates will depend on cities. Each city will be managed separately because the cost of living and affordability is different. Not all products available in Nairobi will be found in those cities. For example, you may find Uber X (premium option) in one city and not in another city. It will also depend on vehicles the drivers have,” adds Mr Manji.
Uber’s cheaper category called Chap chap, which is the most popular option for riders, has been credited with growing the e-cab service industry in Kenya.
Uber was the first ride-hailing app to set up shop in Kenya in 2016. Since then, many more players such as Bolt, InDriver, Hava, Mondo Ride, and Wasili have entered the market.
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