American App-based transportation network and taxi company Uber has just launched in Kenya.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Uber operates in over 250 cities worldwide. In Africa, Nairobi is its fifth city with the others being Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos and Cairo.
For 10 days, Uber is offering a 20% discount on their fares.
A user downloads the app from Play Store or App store, enters card details and upon taking a ride, is billed per minute and kilometre. This is the formula being used in Nairobi: Base Far KES100 + KES 4 per minute + KES 60 per km
Uber reportedly has about 30 taxis signed up but is hoping to grow that number significantly.
Here’s an excerpt of the blog post they put up to announce their entry.
What is uberX?
For those who don’t know, uberX is our low-cost alternative to move you around Nairobi in a safe, cheap and reliable way. Our uberX platform is already available in many African cities, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Lagos, Cairo, and now it has arrived in Nairobi!
Why is it the safest ride in town?
Uber’s innovative technology means customers and partner drivers’ benefit from the following gold standard safety measures, designed to improve safety & reliability. Safety features include: Driver information, live GPS enabled map, ability for riders to give feedback, cashless transactions and all drivers are put through rigorous biometric based criminal background checks.
What does it cost?
- Base Far KES100 + KES 4 per minute + KES 60 per km
- Cancellation: KES 300
- Minimum Fare: KES 500
- To celebrate Uber’s launch into Nairobi all riders will get a 20% discount on their fares, for two weeks only starting today
What type of car?
- Riders can expect uberX vehicles that are Toyota Corollas, Fielders or equivalent.
Want to try an Uber?
- Download Uber via the App Store on iOS, Android or Windows
- No need for cash. Register your account with a credit card or debit card (Visa/MasterCard)
- Drop the pin on your pick up location & track the car in real-time
Please note that during our initial phase, car availability could be limited and ETAs may be longer than usual. But don’t worry — we’re working hard to put more Ubers on the system. Try again after a few minutes and you’ll be on your way!
We’re super excited to be here, and we hope you are too! Go for a ride and let us know what you think on Twitter and Instagram, shoot us an email [email protected] or for more information visit https://www.uber.com/nairobi
And some photos from the launch.
