Uber Expands To Four New Towns In Kenya

Uber has announced its expansion into four new cities in Kenya: Eldoret, Nakuru, Naivasha, and Kisumu.

The addition boosts Uber’s presence in East Africa as it’s now available in 8 cities in the region. The company says it has completed 1 billion trips in Africa since its launch in 2013.

The company also announced new products, updates, and features focused on travel, safety, and delivery in Kenya.

Travelling across the city with an entire crew has never been easier, with the launch of UberXL in Nairobi, Kenya. This option provides seating for up to 6 people and extra luggage and is great for airport trips and even for groups who are making a business trip.

Uber said it’s rolling out ChapChap Share, the option of a shared ride that gives up to 30 per cent of savings on trip fares when a rider is paired with a co-rider.

Imran Manji, Head of East Africa said: “We are committed to East Africa, a key contributor to the growth of our business in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’re passionate about helping people travel and discover their city with ease and helping drivers increase earning opportunities.”

The ride-hailing company said it is Safety Check Up across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to encourage riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilising the available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification, and Ride Check.

Uber Eats continues to push beyond boundaries with the adoption of the growing trend of dark stores, which gives non-traditional merchants opportunities to tap into unchartered markets that they wouldn’t have easily accessed.

Kui Mbugua, General Manager for Uber Eats Kenya says, ‘With a 67 per cent year-on-year growth of subscriptions on Eats, we are humbled and encouraged by the expansion that we have seen in South Africa and Kenya.

Uber Eats is rolling out new features across Sub-Saharan Africa such as Item Replacements, which allows consumers to choose the next best item if the original item is out of stock, and Safety Age Verification for customers to scan their IDs to confirm they are of legal age to purchase alcohol and pharmacy items.