This archive report was first published on 15 July 2019.
Published on July 15, 2019, digital taxi drivers in Kenya have announced plans to go on strike over poor working conditions and low pay rates. The drivers, affiliated with the Digital Taxi Forum (DTF), have written to the police to inform them of their intention to protest.
The strike, which began on the morning of the announcement, will affect major digital taxi platforms such as Uber, Taxify, Little Cab, Pewin Cabs, and Fone Taxi. The drivers are demanding an increase in the cost per kilometre on rides, citing that the current rate is too low and results in meagre earnings.
According to the drivers, the current rate of Sh16 per kilometre for Uber and Sh14 for Taxify is unsustainable. They also want a commission rate standardised at 10 per cent, instead of the current trend where some firms take up to 25 percent of total earnings.
“We are like slaves. The rates are too low and we wonder why the Government is allowing us to be treated this way," said Fredrick Oduor, a driver. "We experience a lot of issues such as insecurity and long working hours but go home with peanuts."
The drivers are also demanding the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between their members and the Digital App Taxi Providers in 2018. The MOU had mandated the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) to monitor engagements between the firms, drivers, and their partners.
Members of the forum will march to the Ministries of Transport, Interior, and the office of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to put forward their complaints. Currently, there are over 25 digital app companies employing over 20,000 drivers.
