Strike by Digital Taxi Drivers on April 29–30: A Rebellious Step against Exploitation

By Ezra Otieno, PTWU

Between April 29 and April 30, 2025, virtual taxi drivers in Kenya organized a robust two-day strike that shut down activities on high-profile ride-hailing services like Uber, Bolt and Little Cab. Led by the Progressive Tech Workers Union (PTWU), the strike was a historic escalation in the battle for justice and fair treatment of workers in the gig economy.

Drivers across Nairobi shut down their apps, disabled their vehicles, and joined a synchronized call for greater pay, transparency, and rights in the law. The strike was something more than protest against discriminatory commissions and arbitrary deactivations it was a public declaration that digital workers are ready to fight.

The Build-Up: Piling Up Anger

For years now, Kenya's ride-hailing drivers have labored under opaque terms. Though referred to as "partners" by apps, drivers face algorithm-controlled terms and have little say over prices, commissions, or the settlement of disputes. Companies like Uber and Bolt earn commissions of 25–30%, while drivers cover all the costs of operation fuel, maintenance, insurance, and loan fees.

It all came to a head in early April 2025 when several drivers were unexpectedly removed from the Bolt platform without notice or explanation and without a process to appeal the removal. Around the same time, new commission structures were implemented that continued to devastate drivers' revenues. With living costs in orbit and fuel prices still as volatile as ever, frustration reached a breaking point.

PTWU, which has been mobilizing drivers primarily in Nairobi, moved swiftly to stage a strike. Organizers through WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels, and physical congregations demanded an unqualified digital shutdown from April 29.

The demand was straightforward:

• To limit commissions to 15%

• To reinstate unfairly suspended drivers

• Complete enforcement of NTSA regulations

• Legal status of drivers as employees, not contractors

• Drivers' representation in all regulatory proceedings

By early morning on April 29, Nairobi’s central business district and its outskirts were unusually quiet. Thousands of drivers had logged off, and commuters were left stranded or faced exorbitant surge prices as the platforms scrambled to fill the vacuum.

Drivers met in locations like Lang'ata, Kasarani, and Umoja in makeshift meetings, trading experience and strategy. Some even made placards, on which were written messages like "We Are Not Robots" and "No Justice, No Rides." Strategic locations like outside Bolt offices in Westlands saw small pickets held, clearly establishing that this was not going to be just a one-day protest.

Mainstream media picked up the story by mid-day. Local outlets interviewed frustrated passengers, but more importantly, they gave drivers a platform to speak out. Charles, a Nairobi-based Bolt driver and PTWU field organizer, told Citizen TV, “We are tired of being treated like disposable tools. If the platforms can’t respect us, we’ll shut them down.”

Although initially planned as a one-day protest, the sheer solidarity and quietness of the platforms led PTWU to extend the action to April 30. Things gained momentum, and the pressure mounted on ride-hailing companies.

By the second day, action had intensified within Nairobi. Drivers continued to protest peacefully, including outside Uber’s local office, demanding a conversation. Instead of listening, the authorities escalated.

Three PTWU-affiliated organizers two driver leaders and a union mobilizer were arrested in the afternoon near Waiyaki Way for allegedly "causing public disturbance." Eyewitnesses said they were peacefully talking to other drivers and members of the media when the police arrived. PTWU denounced the arrests immediately as acts of intimidation and stifling of due worker protest.

Union lawyers worked through the night to secure their release, and on Labour Day morning itself, May 1, all three were granted police bond and released. In a media release issued soon after their release, PTWU declared:

"The arrests are a clear sign that the state and digital capital are in cahoots to silence workers. But we will not be silenced. The strike has taught us what is possible when workers organise together."

Platform Reactions: Denial and Silence

Bolt initially asserted on Twitter that operations were "largely unaffected" — something ridiculed by users who shared screenshots of app unavailability and extortionate prices. Uber, on the other hand, said nothing but was said to be providing SMS inducements to bring drivers back online.

Neither platform addressed the root problems: exploitative charges, lack of recourse for deactivation, or outright lack of driver representation in company policy. Their silence only did more to reaffirm what most drivers already knew these platforms are more concerned with making a profit than with people.

Public Support and Political Implications

What surprised most was the amount of sympathy that existed in the public. Despite the inconveniences to commuters, the majority of Kenyans—especially young people who know the gig economy—were rallying around the strike. Both #DigitalStrike254 and #RespectDrivers trended on X (formerly Twitter) throughout both days.

Civic organizations, university campuses, and even boda boda organizations issued solidarity messages. The Kenya Human Rights Commission condemned the arrests and called on the government to assist in negotiating dialogue between platforms and drivers.

Several MPs, especially those from Nairobi, also weighed in, urging the Ministry of Labor and the NTSA to take action. As of May 2, PTWU had submitted a formal petition before both agencies outlining the drivers' requirements and demanding changes in regulation.

A Turning Point for Gig Worker Organizing

The April 29–30 strike was more than a disruption. It was the coming of age of gig worker mobilization in Kenya. It was the first time digital taxi drivers demonstrated the ability to organize, display discipline, and stand firm even in the face of intimidation.

It also spoke to the relevance and demand for such unions as PTWU in the digital age. Unlike traditional unions, PTWU understands the temporary, app-based character of work today and is building a model of bottom-up organization that accounts for those realities.

Initiatives are now underway to:

• Create a national digital drivers' council within PTWU

• Launch a cooperative transport app operated by drivers

• Organize a national gig economy conference in July

• Embark on a constitutional petition to protest the current designation of drivers as "independent contractors"

According to one driver at a May 2 debrief meeting: "The apps treat us like numbers, but this strike proved we are people organized, angry, and ready to take control."

Conclusion: The Road Ahead

The April 29–30 strike was a landmark moment for Kenya’s gig workers. It highlighted the underlying brutalities of the ease of ride-hailing and demonstrated the huge potential of organizing among gig workers.

As the businesses try to return to normal, something fundamental has changed. Drivers are no longer solitary figures - they're conversing, planning, and coordinating. And the message is clear and loud: the gig economy must be rebuilt to serve the people who power it.

The path ahead will not be without difficulties. But to the thousands who drove off, marched, and risked arrest this was merely the beginning.

A Note from UTAW

We commend the Progressive Tech Workers Union and their members for their incredible courage, determination, discipline and resilience. Long may it continue and we wish you success and solidarity in the next steps you take!

There is much to be learned from the Kenyan Taxi Driver's strike and we thank Ezra for sharing this report with us. Support their fundraiser here.

As workers continue to face assaults on our dignity from multiple fronts, it is paramount we stick together and learn how to fight back. We build international links as a priority.