Uber has ended its operations in Uganda after a decade in the country, with the ride-hailing company saying it is pulling out as part of a broader review of its global business priorities and investment strategy.
The company announced on Wednesday that it had wound down operations in Uganda and Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026, bringing an end to its ride-hailing services in the two countries.
Uber said the decision followed a thorough assessment of where the company should focus its resources and investments as it undergoes a major global restructuring.
“After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” the company said.
Why Uber is leaving Uganda
Uber’s exit does not appear to be the result of a decision to abandon Africa entirely. Instead, Uganda and Nigeria have been identified as markets the company will leave as it simplifies its global operations and redirects resources towards areas it considers more important to its future growth.
The decision comes as Uber undertakes its largest restructuring since the Covid-19 pandemic, with plans to cut approximately 3,300 jobs — around 10% of its global workforce.
Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said the company’s rapid growth over the past five years had created too many management layers, fragmented responsibilities and a more complicated organisational structure, making it harder for the company to make decisions quickly.
Uber is now seeking to become a leaner company by removing management layers, simplifying teams and reviewing where its global workforce and investments should be concentrated.
As part of that strategy, the company is reducing fully remote roles and cutting positions across its global operations, while redirecting the savings towards areas it believes will drive its future growth.
One of those areas is autonomous mobility.
Uber plans to invest more than $10 billion in robotaxi technology and partnerships in the coming years as competition in driverless transportation intensifies. The company is positioning itself to become a platform through which customers can book autonomous rides, rather than relying entirely on its traditional model of connecting passengers with human drivers.
The shift means Uber is increasingly concentrating its resources on new technology and markets that fit its long-term investment plans, leading to the decision to withdraw from Uganda and Nigeria.
Uber entered Uganda in June 2016, launching its services in Kampala and becoming one of the companies that helped introduce app-based ride-hailing to the local transport market.
At the time, the company signed up hundreds of drivers, offering them an opportunity to earn money by connecting with passengers through the Uber app.
Over the years, Uber became a familiar name in Kampala’s transport industry and later listed Jinja among its service locations in Uganda, competing for passengers and drivers in the growing ride-hailing market.
The company, however, never publicly disclosed the exact number of drivers registered on its Ugandan platform.
Its withdrawal now brings that 10-year chapter to an end.
Uber said its immediate focus was on supporting drivers, riders and members of its local team as the company transitions out of the Ugandan market.
The company stressed that the decision to leave Uganda and Nigeria applies only to those two countries and does not affect its operations in other African markets.
Uber also insisted that it remains committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, which it says continues to offer significant long-term growth opportunities.
