Ride hailing drivers in Kenya are set to go on strike tomorrow. The drivers have vowed to halt all app related services. This includes passenger services and online delivery services.
In addition, the taxi operators have promised to take action against any of their colleagues who will dare to continue normal operations. This has been decided in a well attended meeting held in Nairobi today. At the Green Park bus terminus meeting, the drivers have promised to marshall each other from all sides of the city and occupy the Nairobi CBD. They expect their colleagues in other regions to do the same.
Their chief complaint is poor payment by the eTaxi apps that include Faras, Bolt Kenya, Little Cab Kenya, Uber and more. As such, kenyans reliant on the services have been asked to seek alternative transport means on Monday.
Taxi drivers signed on to the digital taxi platforms have taken industrial action before. In 2022, the grievances still touched on payment as they protested the commission charged on their ride fees. They wanted the commission lowered.
New regulations to cap the commission charged by taxi-hailing firms at 18 percent had just taken effect. The stipulated 18% commission remains to this day. Back in 2019, there was yet another strike with drivers in Nairobi because of what they described as low wages and poor working conditions.
Kenya Nationwide Strike
Their strike comes at a time Kenyans across the country are lamenting of a hard economic climate. Monday, the day of the industrial action, comes a day before Kenyans across the country take to the streets in planned protests. This will be yet another day of protests a month after Kenyans took to the streets to reject an unpopular finance bill.
After president Ruto said he will not sign the bill Kenyans have not stopped. The citizens are demanding better use of their taxes. Further, there has been calls that those who caused death of protestors in the last one month be brought to book.
The president has responded by sending home almost his entire cabinet bar the Chief Cabinet Minister, Musalia Mudavadi. The Inspector General of police, Japheth Koome, also resigned leading to reshufflling of the national police service command structure.