

An Uber taxi has been set on fire in Nairobi as tensions rise between the ride-hailing service and conventional cabs, according to a Kenyan police official.

In the second attack of its kind in a matter of weeks, a man hired the vehicle to take him to the outskirts of the capital but led the driver to a dark alley, Nairobi’s police chief, Japheth Koome, said on Wednesday.

The driver told police he saw four men approach the car and managed to escape when they tried to restrain him, Koome said. The car was burned out.

“We are determined to end this madness where people are maliciously attacking and damaging other people’s property,” Koome said.

Late last month, another Uber car was burned by unknown assailants. Taxi operators asked the government in February to prevent the operations of Uber, which has become popular because of its cheaper fares.



Taxi drivers say they are suffering as a result of unfair competition from Uber, which has faced legal challenges around the world, but Uber argues that Kenya’s taxi sector needs to accept the competition.

The interior ministry and the director of competition were mediating between the rival groups, Koome said.