NAIROBI-Uber's new Kenyan safari business is stumbling as local guides push back against the idea of the ride-hailing giant muscling into a trade they have practiced for decades.
The San Francisco-based company touted Uber Safari as a service that would make booking a lion-sighting in Nairobi National Park as easy as ordering a ride to the city's airport.
Now Uber says it has removed its familiar branding from the sides of its four-wheel drive vehicles to avoid provoking a fight with the traditional guides.
"It got to a point where safety was paramount," said Uber East Africa General Manager Imran Manji, who helped create the service. He imagined a worst-case scenario where Uber-branded vehicles could be targeted in retaliation. "We don't want to put the driver or the guide in danger, and we don't want the passengers in any danger," he said.
The company hasn't disclosed how many people have taken an Uber Safari since the service launched 12 months ago. The Kenya Association of Tour Operators says some of its drivers may have quietly signed on with Uber.
But officials at the Kenya Wildlife Service-which manages the park-and local guides say they haven't spotted any safari vehicles they know to be part of the Uber project.
"As far as we are concerned, that thing died the day they launched it," said Felix Migoya, chairman of the East Africa Tour Guides and Drivers Association, which represents 1,000 Nairobi guides. "The reaction was like, 'No.' Outright resistance from tour operators."
During the August high season, when drivers flock to the Maasai Mara to show visitors the migration of wildebeests and zebras, customers trying to book visits to the Nairobi National Park could wait up to half an hour while the app searched for an available ride, only to receive a notification that none was available.
Attempts to book rides in September were unsuccessful, with pop-up notifications telling riders that all drivers were busy.
Nairobi National Park is a rarity among urban parks. The 29,000-acre expanse of savannah and woodlands sits on the city's edge, near two airports, yet it is home to lions, zebras and Maasai giraffes. Visitors can take photos of rhinoceros with the office towers and apartment buildings of downtown Nairobi visible in the background.
Uber aimed its service at business travelers who might want a break from meetings, tourists with a bit of time in the capital before heading to the hinterlands, and Kenyan city-dwellers who want to experience their country's wildlife.
Riders were offered three-hour excursions stating at roughly $150 or night rides starting at $300 via the standard Uber app. Regular safari guides charge up to $195 for a half-day tour. Non-African tourists booking safaris through Uber or regular tour operators pay an additional $80 entry fee to the park.
Uber Safari would create a new income source for tour operators from people who might not have otherwise arranged a trip, the company said.
Angling for a larger share of tourism spending, Uber has recently offered seasonal bucket-list experiences, from on-demand sleigh rides in Finland, Champagne tours in French vineyards, hot-air balloon rides in Turkey, luxury sea trips in Greece and driving over dunes in Dubai. Uber has teamed up with Expedia to allow American users to book hotels via the Uber app.
But Nairobi-based tour guides are worried that Uber will be as disruptive to the safari business as it has been to the city's taxis.
Much of the initial outrage was fueled by the misconception that Uber planned to send its regular drivers, who often drive compact, two-wheel-drive sedans, into the park, instead of licensed guides with proper 4x4s. Guides predicted that untrained drivers would crowd or otherwise harass animals, or play down the importance of the wildlife expertise guides had built over years.
Uber has spent a good amount of time since its launch working through "teething issues," said Manji, the regional manager.
Uber officials had to figure out how to keep drivers connected in parts of the park with no cell signal and to distribute smartphones to operators.
The company also had to iron out the logistical kinks of night safaris, when visitors might spot a hyena or an elusive leopard. Night rides must be booked days in advance to allow for security screenings, and capacity caps meant to prevent poaching and limit disruptions to the animals.
Uber's standard service has also encountered setbacks in Africa. The company has exited Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Ivory Coast in the face of surging fuel costs, increased competition and regulatory hurdles. The company's Africa operations are now limited to Ghana, Egypt, South Africa and Kenya.
Kenyan authorities are considering minimum-fare policies that could double prices-a move ride-hailing companies say could reduce demand. A court judgment issued earlier this month may shut down these discussions.
After the initial outcry over its safari plans, Kenya's national tourism regulator clarified that the service would only use licensed guides and approved vehicles, according to the safari guide association. The Tourism Regulatory Authority declined requests for an interview.
By then, however, warnings and threats against anyone joining Uber Safari had already spread in the guides' association.
"Nobody was brave enough to go with Uber stickers because of the backlash from tour guides," said Migoya, who has worked as a guide for nearly a decade.
Tempers have cooled recently, but only because guides haven't seen Uber safari vehicles in the park, he said.
Tourism is a critical segment of Kenya's economy, generating roughly $12 billion, or 10% of the country's gross domestic product last year, and supporting 1.8 million jobs, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
Uber says most operators have come around to its safari offering, but it is pointedly advertising at Nairobi's international airport, not on the side of its vehicles.
Shortly after Uber launched its safari service, Bolt, a European rival, announced a similar product-plans the company said it paused but was still considering. Bolt attributed the delay to "market conditions and consumer demand."
"Bolt Safari remains part of our product road map, and we are actively planning for its launch before the end of the year," said Dimmy Kanyankola, the company's East Africa general manager.
Uber said it consulted with Kenyan officials and its fleet before launching its service, including on pricing, hoping to keep trips affordable while also ensuring sufficient compensation for drivers.
The guide association fears, however, that once Uber has a foothold in the park, it will drive down prices, grab business from traditional guides and fend off any other ride-hailing competitors.
"We are the people on the ground, so most of the impact will be on us," said Wilson Kuria, a guide who started a petition opposing Uber Safari.
"Technology is taking over, whether we want it or not," Kuria added. "I know Uber will eventually get into the business, but if they don't consider the opinions of the tour guides, it will flop."
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