Uber to launch in Nairobi during EatOut Kenya’s Restaurant Week

After a whole year of speculation, San Fransico based, Taxi-hailing service, Uber is set to launch in Nairobi January 22.

The app-based transportation network and taxi service has teamed up with local restaurant discovery platform, EatOut to offer complimentary taxi rides during the latter’s Nairobi Restaurant Week campaign which kicks off next week.

According to sources close to Uber Kenya, the firm has signed up 30 cars for its pilot phase and is signing up more before its official launch next month. Uber first launched in Africa August 2013, making South Africa its choice destination, then later launched in Lagos and Cairo. Kenya’s launch has been speculated for long after the firm announced it was hiring community managers.

It’s launch in Nairobi is a challenge to similar taxi hailing services such as Rocket Internet’s (AIG) EasyTaxi, Sasa Cabs, MaraMoja Transport among others.

The promotion will see Uber App users claim up to 2 free rides worth a maximum of Ksh 2000 each, during the 10 day restaurant festival between January 22^nd and 2^nd February 2015, where diners will enjoy fixed priced menus of Ksh 1500 at over 50 of the city’s top restaurants.

EatOut’s CEO Mikul Shah was unavailable for comment, however an advert in the online edition of the company’s monthly Yummy Magazine shares details about the promotion.

Those wishing to take advantage of the promotion will need to do download Uber’s App (available on IOS, Android & Windows Phone) and use the NRW2015 promo code.

This is not the first time EatOut has teamed up with tech giants in Nairobi. In 2012 the company collaborated with Google & Waninchi Group’s Zuku to roll out free WiFi hotspots in hundreds of restaurants, and in 2013 introduced the popular Lipa Na Mpesa payment options to hundreds of restaurants with Safaricom & Kopo. Kopo.

With approximately 30 cars already registered with Uber to serve Nairobi’s commuter market, the company looks to gain ground fast ahead of the official launch of the service set for next month.