SWVL suspends commuter services in Kenya
Ride-sharing service provider SWVL has suspended its daily and intra-city rides in Kenya, citing harsh economic conditions.
“In light of the global economic downturn, we are pausing our SWVL Daily intra-city rides in Nairobi on Friday, June 3,” read SWVL’s statement shared with app users on June 1, 2022.
This pause is meant for the SWVL Daily (buses that ply Nairobi city and its suburbs) and SWVL Travel (long-distance travel across the country).
The company however says it will continue its SWVL Business that caters for corporations, organizations and private entities.
Globally, SWVL is also laying off close to 32 per cent of its workforce in the company’s effort to pursue profits.
SWVL chief executive officer Mostafa Kandil attributed the sackings to a “global crisis with unforeseen consequences.”
“Over the past few weeks, SWVL has been hit like others across the globe with changes to its financial realities. While change is often unexpected, we believe that any attempt to resist it instead of adapting to it will prove futile,” Kandil explained. “We know we have to make tough decisions to prioritize profitability over growth to ensure that SWVL thrives once we are on the other side of this,” he added.
Swvl has also announced voluntary salary deductions from the top management team, reduction of current office spaces and freezing their current hiring program.
