Uber Exits Uganda as Ride-Hailing Giant Cuts 3,300 Jobs Globally

KAMPALA — Ride-hailing giant Uber has announced its withdrawal from Uganda, bringing an end to its operations in the country as the company undertakes a major global restructuring and redirects investment towards autonomous vehicles and robotaxis.

According to a report by Business Insider Africa, Uber will discontinue its operations in Uganda and Nigeria from September 2, 2026, citing changing business priorities and a shift in its investment focus.

The exit comes alongside Uber’s decision to eliminate approximately 3,300 jobs globally, representing about 10 percent of its workforce.

Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said the restructuring is intended to simplify the company’s organisational structure, reduce management layers and allow the company to make faster decisions.

The company is also seeking to redirect resources towards areas it considers critical to its future, particularly autonomous vehicle technology and robotaxis.

The restructuring follows a period of rapid expansion for Uber, which has increasingly faced competition from emerging autonomous-vehicle companies and robotaxi operators.

Despite leaving Uganda and Nigeria, Uber says the decision does not represent a withdrawal from Africa altogether. The company says it remains committed to Sub-Saharan Africa and will continue operating in other African markets.

For Uganda, however, the departure marks a significant change in the country’s rapidly evolving digital transport sector.

Uber entered Uganda’s market in 2015 and became one of the country’s most recognisable ride-hailing platforms, offering passengers app-based transport while providing an alternative income stream for thousands of drivers.

The company’s departure also comes less than a year after competition regulators secured changes to some of Uber’s contractual terms affecting riders in Uganda and Kenya. The COMESA Competition Commission had found several provisions in Uber’s contracts problematic, including clauses relating to fare changes, cancellations and liability.

Uber’s Uganda website was still displaying ride and driver services when accessed on September 2, although the company has announced that its Ugandan operations are being discontinued from that date.

Globally, Uber had approximately 34,000 employees at the end of 2025. The latest cuts represent the company’s largest workforce reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company says the leaner structure will generate savings that can be reinvested into growth, innovation and technologies expected to shape the future of transportation.

Uber’s move highlights the increasingly competitive nature of the global mobility industry, where traditional ride-hailing platforms are now preparing for a future in which human-driven vehicles could increasingly compete with autonomous fleets.