Are the Kenyan Taxi Services really safe?

When the Taxi Services were first introduced in Kenya, most if not all people were relieved at the thought of safe and secure services which would get them home, or so we thought. Honestly safety and convenience are the two reasons why women in Nairobi use cabs and in 2018, cases, where women are raped by cab drivers  became very common.

Take a look at the Late Mildred Odira’s case. Ms. Odira, who worked as a switchboard operator for Foresight company based at Nation Centre, was last seen by security guards where she lived in Kariobangi South.

She is said to have left her house early morning on January 29, in Kariobangi South to head to Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital in Kasarani, Nairobi. According to her sister, Mildred had been on medication for ulcers and her blood pressure had also been a reason for concern.

Her 9-year-old son, however, was the one who made the family raise questions on the whereabouts of his mother, after he failed to attend school that day.

Mildred Odira’s switched-off phone prompted her sister Maureen to visit her home, where the guards at the gate informed her that they had called a taxi driver to help Mildred get to hospital on Tuesday morning.

According to the hospital records, the driver entered the hospital gates at 4.30am and left at 5.57am.

But according to hospital records, the driver entered the hospital gates at 4.30 am and left at 5.57 am, 1 hour 27 minutes later, which contradicted the duration he had given her family.
It then emerged that the driver spent only one minute in the hospital compound. CCTV footage shows the driver entering and immediately exiting without dropping anyone.
At Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital, administrators said they had no record of her being admitted to their facility.

This is just among the stories that put into question the safety of taxi services in Nairobi.

Taxify, Uber and Little cab are very popular because they claim to do background checks on their drivers. Whether this is something they do or not is not clear because the cases of robberies and rapes keep going up every day. What are the repercussions for drivers who are guilty of these crimes and what are the security checks we need to confirm before jumping into a cab?