This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
On July 8, 2020, Uber and Utopia, an urban mobility innovation group, partnered with the University of Nairobi to launch the Mobility Challenge as part of the University of Nairobi Innovation Fellowship.
The challenge aims to encourage students to develop solutions to address diverse congestion and transportation challenges in Nairobi, leveraging human-centered design thinking methodologies.
According to Cezanne Maherali, Head of Public Policy for Uber in Sub-Saharan Africa, “The future of urban mobility is constantly changing and developing. Data and research are key to unlocking the potential in our cities. This is why we partnered with the University of Nairobi and Utopia to support students as they investigate and propose diverse solutions to challenges that people face every day while commuting from one place to another in Nairobi.”
As part of the partnership, Uber has been working with students researching issues in public transport using its platforms such as Uber Movement and Speeds in Nairobi to effectively evaluate where the city can make investments in transportation infrastructure using relevant data.
One of the projects, Service Conductor, aims to address safety issues faced by women while using public transport by providing a digital training program for conductors and operators in the matatu industry on topics such as customer service and harassment.
Another project, Mwendo Mtaani, piloted social campaigns to address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when using public transport, including stigmatization, gender-based violence, and lack of reliable channels to report complaints.
Dr. Tonny Omwasa, Director of the University of Nairobi Innovation Hub, says, “The University of Nairobi C4DLab is built on the premise of using innovation and research, while leveraging a network of students and private sector partners, to develop solutions that address core issues in the society. We are pleased to have partnered with Uber and Utopia to provide insights and support to the students working on the projects addressing challenges in urban mobility.”
