You Can Now Hail Uber Electric Boda to and From the CBD

Uber has today announced that you can now hail its Electric Boda when you’re in the Nairobi CBD.

This new service was introduced in late August last year offering the option to use their electric bikes for rides across Nairobi.

When it first launched, it was limited to the outskirts of Nairobi as the two-wheelers weren’t allowed in the CBD.

As of today, you can hail Electric Boda to and from the CBD and this also includes sending and receiving packages safely as well.

Uber Electric Boda is the company’s efforts to be a zero-emission company by 2040.

Uber says that they have offset emissions equivalent to 25,000 trees and that in the last three to four months they have gone around the world 75%.

Articles in This Stream

Greenwheels Africa is the company Uber has partnered with to manage and operate the Electric Boda fleet and they’re responsible for everything including the charging stations and riders. The company says that they offer the drivers a guaranteed monthly salary, monthly mobile airtime, SMS and data bundles as well.

For now, Uber is planning to have 3000 electric bikes which makes it a fifth of its total fleet.

It’s worth noting that the bikes are leased to the riders in their partnership with Uber.

The company has said that it plans to increase its charging spots across Nairobi as riders only need to quickly swap batteries when they go empty.

The prices are affordable as they are 15-20% below the price of their normal boda. Uber says that drivers will see a 30-35% drop in their operating costs. The base price for any ride on the Electric Boda starts at Ksh 70 and is an option when you start the process of hailing an Uber ride.

Here Are Other Interesting Details Regarding Uber and Uber Eats in Kenya From Last Year

Uber also shared their year in review showcasing mobility and delivery trends from the past year.

Uber

Uber confirmed that they have different commission rates for the towns/cities it operates in:18%(maximum) in Nairobi and Mombasa while it is 5% in Kisumu, Eldoret, Naivasha and Nakuru.
Drivers can now accept Card trips with the app supporting early cash disbursements – Uber allows drivers to access their earnings twice daily directly to their mobile wallets.
The longest car trip on Uber X was 548Km – 9 hours and 52 minutes which was from Nairobi’s JKIA to Amboseli(Kibo Safari Camp)
The longest bike trip on Uber Boda was 521Km – 10hrs and 11 minutes from Kawangare to Mombasa
August saw a 71.3% increase in airport trips(international and domestic)
The month with the highest earnings was November
The best tipping cities were Mombasa and Nairobi
The highest tip earned by a driver was Ksh 15,600 – a round trip from JKIA to Tilis to Gigiri. The fare was Ksh 4430 and took 1hr and 49 minutes on Uber X.
the highest number of trips taken by a single passenger in 2023 is 1164 while the total lifetime trips for an active client is at 6430.
Uber Business saw a more than 10% increase in trips by people post-pandemic
9 am was the busiest time for business trips
5 pm was the most popular time of the day for trips
The top five destination categories that passengers took trips to were: Travel/Transit, Education, Tourism/Entertainment, Shopping and Errands, Restaurant and Bar.
Top-rated drivers were in Nairobi(4.94), Mombasa(4.9) and Nakuru(4.8).

Uber Eats

Uber Eats now has six restaurants: Ando Foods Kitchen, Siam Thai Kitchen, Burger King, Brood, Chicken Cottage and Papa John’s Pizza
Uber Eats has over 1000 merchants across the country – both in online food delivery and grocery and retail. They launched three virtual liquor stores – Uber Eats Market Cellar which stocks both from EABL and imported brands.
African and American cuisines were the most popular cuisines ranging from vegetable spring rolls, ugali and steamed rice to KFC’s Streetwise 2 and 3, followed by the Full Java House Breakfast, Chicken Teriyaki and KFC’s Streetwise 5
Kenyan’s top sweet cravings were Waffles (D’s Oreo Waffles), Gulab Jamun and Crépes (Sweet Crépes), Visheti and D’s Crepe with Bananas, Strawberries and Nutella
The most popular days for Uber Eats orders were Friday, Sunday, Saturday, Thursday and Wednesday.
The most common times for delivery orders were 7 pm, 6 pm, 1 pm, 12 pm and 2 pm
The top vegetarian restaurants on Uber Eats were Veg Curries(Eldoret), Rozina Grill Restaurant(Mombasa), Shehnai(Mombasa), Wok on Wheels(Nairobi) and Fit Kitchen(Nairobi)
The top pasta restaurants were Wagon on Wheel Hotel(Eldoret), Bustan Restaurant(Mombasa), 360 Degrees Pizza(Nairobi), Mambo Italia(Nairobi) and Artcaffe Coffee & Bakery(Nairobi)
The most popular convenience items from last year were: Menenga Cream Bar Scat Vellex White Serviettes Vetvex Kochen Towels Pampers Baby Wipes while the most popular flower orders: Red Roses White Roses mixed with gypsophila and Garden Bouquet
The most expensive order was Ksh 168,309 from Chandarana Supermarket (ABC Place)

What They’re Saying:

“Not only is Uber a mobility brand, but it is one that forms the ecosystem for consumers’ daily lives. Regardless of the product that one opts for to go to work, school, or meet with family and friends, consumers can be assured of our commitment to safety across all product categories,” said Imran Manji, Head of East Africa, Uber.

”Whether it’s to order a meal for friends and loved ones or access grocery, pharmacy or retail items, we are pleased to leverage our tech and logistics expertise to become Kenyans’ choice to access the day to day items they need,” commented Kui Mbugua, General Manager, Uber Eats Kenya.