Uber’s decision to shut down its ride-hailing operations in Uganda and Nigeria has sparked a heated debate online, with social media users sharing unusual and, in some cases, disturbing experiences involving drivers, while drivers have highlighted low earnings, rising fuel costs and difficult working conditions.

The company announced that it would cease operations in Uganda after 10 years and Nigeria after 12 years.

The decision has prompted questions about what may have gone wrong in the relationship between the ride-hailing platform, its drivers and customers.

The online debate gained momentum after journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo asked his followers on X to share some of the strangest Uber experiences they had encountered in Africa.

Onyango-Obbo recalled a story from Uganda in which a passenger allegedly ordered an Uber only to discover that the driver’s wife or girlfriend was sitting in the front passenger seat breastfeeding a baby.

“You can imagine the poor fellow’s shock!!! What are some of the strangest Uber stories you have heard in Africa?” Onyango-Obbo wrote.

His post attracted numerous responses, with users recounting experiences ranging from fare disputes to allegations of drivers manipulating the rating system.

Julie DeTraveller claimed that one driver took advantage of the rating process by allegedly tapping her phone and awarding himself five stars.

“As I was finalising paying and the app asking me to rate him, he tapped in my phone to give himself 5*,” she wrote.

Another user, Irene Mamawabawala, described an alleged fare dispute in Uganda.

She said the Uber application displayed a fare of Shs12,000, but during the journey the driver allegedly demanded an additional payment, telling her: “Nyabo Ogenda kumpayo ebili kitundu (25k).” “madam your going to give me 25k”

The post generated further reactions from users who questioned how such disputes were handled and whether some drivers were operating outside the conditions set by the platform.

Hannah Guyette also reacted to one of the stories, asking how the incident ended and joking about taking the driver’s car keys away.

Noella Patience, however, used the discussion to raise a broader concern about how the Uber controversy is being reported.

She argued that customers should also be interviewed to understand the challenges facing the ride-hailing industry.

“I wanted to tell BBC to rather interview the users if they want to understand what’s happening,” she wrote, accusing some drivers of having “misused Uber system, cheated and harassed users/customers.”

The allegations circulating on social media remain individual accounts and should not be interpreted as evidence that all Uber drivers engage in such practices.

However, the volume of complaints has opened a wider conversation about customer experiences and the regulation of ride-hailing services.

Drivers, meanwhile, have presented another side of the story, pointing to the rising cost of operating vehicles and the pressure created by low fares.

Speaking to the BBC, Uber driver Tobi Ladipo said the economics were becoming particularly difficult for drivers using petrol-powered vehicles.

“For those using CNG, the charges by the e-hailing platforms are okay. But for fuel-powered vehicles, it is not good enough for us,” Ladipo said.

He noted that petrol prices had risen sharply, making it harder for drivers to cover fuel, maintenance and other operating costs while also paying platform commissions.

The competing narratives highlight the central challenge facing ride-hailing platforms: passengers want affordable fares and reliable service, while drivers need sufficient income to make the business worthwhile.

Uber, for its part, has not attributed its withdrawal specifically to driver behaviour or fuel prices.

The company says the decision followed a review of its business priorities and investment strategy.

Uber’s Head of Communications for East and West Africa, Lorraine Onduru, said the company remained committed to the wider African market.

“Uber remains deeply committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see robust growth and long-term opportunity,” Onduru said.

The company said it would support drivers, riders and employees during the transition, while maintaining customer support for a limited period following the shutdown.

Uber’s departure has therefore exposed two very different realities. For some passengers, the platform became associated with questionable driver behaviour, fare disputes and unusual encounters.

For drivers, the problem has increasingly been about whether the money earned from each trip can justify the cost and risks of remaining on the road.

As competitors move to fill the gap left by Uber in Uganda and Nigeria, the debate may ultimately become less about one company and more about the sustainability of Africa’s rapidly expanding gig-economy transport sector.

The question now is whether rival platforms can strike a better balance between affordable rides for passengers, fair earnings for drivers and reliable service for everyone.