County police issue stern warning after Uber taxi torched
A man uses Uber to hail a taxi: Four people doused an Uber taxi in petrol and set it on fire Sunday night. PHOTO | FILE
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He added that this was a case of attempted murder underlining the increasing threat against Uber drivers.
Four people are said to have driven up to an Uber taxi as it dropped a passenger along Kirichwa Road, Kilimani, doused it in petrol and set it on fire.
Nairobi County police boss Japheth Koome has warned that those who attack Uber vehicles will be dealt with as any other criminals following the torching of an Uber taxi Sunday evening.
Addressing journalists outside City Hall Monday, Mr Koome did not reveal if they had made any arrest of the four people who burnt a vehicle and injured the Uber driver but said that CCTV cameras captured their details including the number plate of the car they had used to escape.
On Sunday night, four people are said to have driven up to an Uber taxi as it dropped a passenger along Kirichwa Road, Kilimani, doused it in petrol and set it ablaze.
They beat up the driver who also sustained burn injuries and was later taken to the Nairobi Womens Hospital in Adams Arcade.
“Honestly, we cannot allow that kind of nonsense. The message is, whoever attempts that (attacks), the way I deal with robbers, the way I deal with muggers - that is how I will deal with him,” Mr Koome said this morning.
He added that this was a case of attempted murder, underlining the increasing threat against Uber drivers.
Traditional taxi drivers in Nairobi and other cities across the world are protesting Uber’s business model which has seen the app-based cab hailing service grab a substantial chunk of their business.
