Uber has marked three-year anniversary Kenya last week since its launch in Nairobi on 22nd January 2015. The company has released interesting statistics on Kenyans’ Uber habits.
Uber’s General Manager for East Africa Loic Amado said the uptake of Uber in Nairobi has been growing. “We are honoured by the support that we have received from riders and driver-partners since our entry into Kenya,” he said.
The company says Kenyans have taken millions of trips on Uber over the last three years with the one millionth trip milestone in Nairobi completed in May 2016. Cumulatively, it emerged that Kenyans have travelled approximately over seven million kilometres, which loosely translates to 203 trips to the moon and back.
During the period, Aga Khan University Hospital was the overall top destination for Uber riders in Nairobi, revealing the safety and reliability that the app offers to riders in Nairobi on a trip to hospital.
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K1 Club House emerged as the top night destination for riders in Nairobi, manifesting Nairobians perpetual love for nightlife. This not only reveals the convenience that Uber offers to riders when they go out, said Mr Amado, but the contribution that the app is making towards responsible drinking.
As part of the celebration, Uber rewarded every third rider of the hour with Ksh1,000 worth of free Uber rides all week. Uber is also available in Thika, Mombasa, Kampala and Dar es Salaam. “Across the board in East Africa, riders and driver-partners are enjoying another choice on how to move around their cities,” said Mr Amado.
“We are really excited about the opportunities in Kenya and the potential in East Africa.”
In the last three years, the firm has launched a number of products for riders and drivers in Nairobi, offering more choice on uberX, UberSELECT or uberCHAPCHAP. This is in addition to an insurance cover for all Uber riders for each trip they take on the application in partnership with Uber and First Assurance.
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On the driver-partner front, last year, Uber introduced a new feature that helps driver-partners automatically link to riders with trips headed in the same direction at the beginning and end of their working day. The company has also enabled close to 300 driver-partners become their own business owners through vehicle solutions programmes in partnership with Stanbic and Sidian Bank.
Beyond that, driver-partners in Kenya also benefit from financial literacy training through a partnership with Old Mutual. The taxi firm has also partnered with Total, Kingsway, Auto Express, Telkom Kenya, Chandaria Industries, Stanbic Bank, Sidian Bank, Ryde TV, CMC Suzuki and 24 Hour Car Wash to give driver-partners value adds and discounts for services.
