After its launch on January 21st, 2015, Nairobi was Uber’s first city in Kenya and in the East African region. All was well since, the company was battling against its competitors in the city and at one time faced a violent backlash from traditional cab drivers angry at the new competition, with Uber drivers and cars attacked.
As of today, the coins flips back to the company; where over 150 Kenyan taxi drivers are turning back to the company. Uber drivers demonstrating outside the company’s office in the capital, Nairobi, claim that the company has reduced its prices too much.
Last week, Uber said it was lowering its prices by upto 35% in response to competition from other companies. The company believes that its cheaper fares, they can now be a true alternative to people driving their own cars into the city center, with all the hassle and cost that parking brings.
“The service has been accused of undermining more traditional taxi operators in cities around the world,” BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza reports live from Kenya.
