Uber has ended its ride-hailing operations in Uganda after a decade, with the shutdown taking effect on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, as it restructures its global operations and cuts 3,300 jobs.
The company announced the withdrawal through a communication to Ugandan customers, ending a service that began in Kampala in June 2016 and became part of the city’s growing app-based transport sector.
Uber said the decision followed a review of its business priorities and investment focus across Africa, but did not give specific details on the financial performance of its Ugandan operations or identify particular local factors behind the withdrawal.
“After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” the company said in its communication to customers.
Uber thanked Ugandans for using its platform and said it had been a privilege to connect passengers with independent transportation providers since launching in Kampala.
The exit marks a significant change for Uganda’s ride-hailing industry, where Uber helped popularise booking taxis through smartphones, while giving vehicle owners opportunities to earn through the platform.
The company, however, leaves behind a market that has become more competitive over the years, with services including Bolt, SafeBoda, Faras and Yango offering alternatives to passengers in Kampala. Uber’s departure is therefore expected to give rival platforms an opportunity to attract some of its former riders and driver-partners.
Uber has not disclosed the number of Ugandan drivers, riders or local workers directly affected by the shutdown.
The company’s withdrawal from Uganda is part of a wider retreat from selected African markets. It simultaneously ended its operations in Nigeria, where it had operated since 2014. Uber previously withdrew from Côte d’Ivoire in 2025 and Tanzania in 2026, leaving it operating in four African markets, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt and South Africa.
The African exits come as Uber undertakes a major global restructuring announced by Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi.
The company plans to cut about 3,300 jobs, representing roughly 10 percent of its workforce, as it reduces management layers and simplifies its organisational structure. Khosrowshahi said the changes are intended to make the company faster and create more capacity for future investment.
“Years of growth have introduced more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale,” Khosrowshahi told employees.
The restructuring is also linked to Uber’s push into autonomous transportation. The company has committed more than $10 billion toward partnerships and investments aimed at developing robotaxi services, while continuing to invest in its core ride-hailing and delivery businesses.
For Uganda, Uber’s departure closes a ten-year chapter in Kampala’s digital transport revolution. The technology and consumer habits it helped introduce, however, remain firmly established, leaving competing ride-hailing companies to shape the next phase of the market.