Interior PS holds meeting with taxi drivers, Uber Kenya reps

Economy

Interior PS holds meeting with taxi drivers, Uber Kenya reps

Monday February 08 2016

Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho is meeting with stakeholders in the ongoing Uber Kenya and taxi operators tussle Monday morning in the wake of intimidation and harassment of the online firm's partner drivers.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery had last week instructed the PS to convene with the two sides following escalating tension between Kenyan taxi drivers and those from the digital taxi hailing company.

A lobby for regular street cabs - the United Kenya Taxi Organisation - gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to ban the US-based company from operating in the country.

The group had also threatened to stop taxi operations in the capital and hold street demonstrations until their demands were met.

READ: Regular taxis want Uber ban within 7 days

The PS had invited the representatives of both parties to his Harambee House office for a meeting scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Monday.

Police representatives as well as those from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) are also expected to attend.

Last week, Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia threw his weight behind the online taxi company, warning regular street cab operators not to break the law in their protests against the American firm.

Mr Nkaissery offered to broker a truce between the two parties following attacks meted out on Uber drivers.

READ: Uber, regular taxis rivalry turns ugly as drivers fight

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