The apps are now enough and most normal cab drivers have decided to join the apps because that is what Kenyans prefer.
Despite the positive side of the cabs in terms of convenience and cost, the drivers have been reported severally with bad behavior.
Normal cases are usually overcharging the passenger or careless driving but the story of one Sheila Mutheu in the hands of an Uber driver turned out to be a total nightmare on her way home.
Sheila had an interview with Africa Uncensored -John Allan Namu’s company- where she opened up about a few minutes that could have changed the status of her life to ‘the late’.
Sheila narrates her story saying she was at Mtindwa Market where she ordered for an uber because it was dark and cold and she just wanted to get home safe and warm.
When the app picked a driver for her, he called her and asked her where she was and she told him she was the only girl standing by the roadside.
I TOLD HIM I AM WAITING FOR THE CAR ON THE APP AND HE TOLD ME HE IS NOT DRIVING THE CAR ON THE APP AND THAT HE HAS A NEW CAR BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED ON THE APP.
The fact that she has ordered via the app, she trusted this guy and boarded the car but the surrounding inside was fishy.
I GOT IN AND THERE WAS A BAG OF MOGOKA, CIGARETTES AND A KATINY ROLE OF BHANG. WHEN I ENTERED I COULD SMELL THE BHANG AND AS WE DROVE HE ASKED IF HE COULD SMOKE AND I SAID YES.
All this Sheila thinks was a way to get rid of the smell of bhang.
Most uber divers start up a conversation with their customers and this one was no different asking her how her day was. Then the conversation took a turn when he asked her whether she was a devil worshiper or a Christian when they were in Buruburu.
She answered him telling him she is a Christian and his response was her second red flag.
MIMI NAPENDANGA WATU KAMA NYINYI
They got home and he ended the trip only for it to be ksh550 yet the estimate was supposed to be ksh170. They had barely traveled 2 kilometers but the app said they had been on the road for 20 kilometers.
Of course, she questioned the charges and he replied:
I DO NOT ARGUE WITH THE APP.
So she paid him 400 via mpesa and gave him 1000 bob waiting for change. The fourth red flag was his response:
YOU KNOW WHAT I AM F*CKING HIGH AND I DO NOT RETURN CHANGE WHEN I AM HIGH. WAIT TILL MORNING THEN I’LL REFUND THE CHANGE.
Sheila refused to leave the car demanding for her change. So the driver drove to the end of the court and told her he knows where he would take her if she did not leave the car.
He locked the doors and drew the windows up. Sheila opened her side and pushed the door open. He did not expect her reaction and so he jumped out of the car and started shouting.
Her watchman came asking what’s going on and that is when his crazier side came out. He started screaming that Sheila wants to steal from him.
Of course, all the commotion caused attention. The driver even threatened to roga them saying ‘mwambie atoke ndani ya hiyo uber. Boss unajua uchawi ya waluhya?’
One neighbor called Buruburu police station and the cops were there in 10 minutes. As they were trying to frisk him to get money to pay Sheila’s change, the uber drivers pants fell off and he had no boxer on.
The police were shocked and even pointed out that the guy had bad intentions. All this time, he has been referring to her as Agnes threatening to rape her:
AGNES, YOU KNOW I AM GOING TO RAPE YOU AND HE SAYS IT IN SWAHILI AND YOU KNOW HOW BAD THAT SOUNDS.
The driver was thrown in the back of the pickup and his car was towed to the police station.
The next time the police called Sheila, they told her to come with a witness and she went with a guy who was at the parking and witnessed all the drama that night.
Later on, her story went viral and she got a lot of friend requests on facebook and the driver was one of the guys. He inboxed her telling her:
STOP SHARING YOUR STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA GO LOW AND QUIET. MOVE AND CHANGE YOUR NUMBER.
When she appeared in court, the charges were changed from assault and attempted rape to just disturbance with a fine of Ksh 5000 only.
Up to date, Sheila is afraid of leaving her house alone and she still does not know who change the charges but she assumes it is the owner of the car because he is a big shot in the taxi business as he owns many cars.
Sheila says that she has never been assisted by Uber all they told her was to follow up with the Kenyan police.
