List Of Taxi Apps Allowed To Operate In Kenya- NTSA

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has listed four taxi-hailing companies allowed to operate in Kenya.

NTSA Director General George Njao announced on Monday, October 31 that only Uber, Bolt, Yego and Little Cabs are allowed to operate on Kenyan soil.

This comes amidst fresh calls to have the companies registered afresh.

"In carrying outs its mandate and in line with the requirements of the NTSA Transport Network Companies  (TNC), Drivers and Passenger Rules, 2022, the following companies are licenced to operate as Transport Network Companies," the statement read in part.

Inside an Uber taxi. /FILE

Bolt is based in Estonia while Uber is based in the United States (US). Yego is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Little Cab is a fully owned taxi-hailing technology of Craft Silicon Ltd, a Kenyan company based in Westlands, Nairobi, meaning it is the only approved local taxi-hailing app.

Among the requirements for approval for the taxi-hailing companies was to have a physical address in the country as well as a functional contact number, all of which were published in the notice.

"The Authority has so far received six applications and they are all at the validation stage prior to licensing of successful applicants," NTSA indicated on October 26, despite having more than 10 operating in Kenya.

This is after it gave current and prospective digital taxi-hailing firms 14 days to apply for licenses as Transport Network Companies after a collaborative sensitization workshop organized by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, and Public Works for all relevant stakeholders.

NTSA sought to license digital hailing firms just as they do with matatus and buses to streamline the sector. The regulations gazetted on June 20, 2022, by the authority require that transport network companies and transport network service providers be licensed before their apps can be used in the country.

The regulations warned that ride-hailing apps that would not have obtained a license by September 18 will be inaccessible to drivers and passengers.

Uber however contested the move by going to court to seek orders to have the regulations done away with, arguing that the requirement for firms offering transport through mobile apps to apply for a transport network license is illegal as it lacks approval from the National Assembly.

Uber further argued that the regulations were not subjected to public participation, adding that NTSA did not follow the law in developing the new regulations.

“Given the first respondent failed to ensure that a copy of the regulations was transmitted to the responsible clerk for tabling before the relevant House of Parliament within seven sitting days after their publication on or before June 27, 2022. The regulations ceased to have effect immediately after June 27, 2022, and are consequently null and void.”

The multinational app noted that its services only enable the transfer of booking information between the driver and the passenger adding that the new regulations “erroneously assume” that it is a transport company that owns vehicles.

Taxi cabs in Kenya. /FILE