Kenya's nationwide e-bike initiative revealed

author: FutureCar Staff    

Kenya has announced plans to introduce electric motorbikes nationwide as part of a green transport initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions and pollution. President William Ruto revealed the scheme in partnership with African startup Spiro, just days before hosting the first Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Ruto emphasized the country's commitment to adopting low-carbon and efficient transportation systems, including clean and sustainable energy technologies.

Ruto stated that Kenya currently has 1,000 electric bikes, with another 10,000 on the way. Spiro has established a plant capable of assembling 1,000 vehicles daily. Kenya has approximately two million motorbikes on its roads, primarily used as taxis known as "boda bodas." Ruto emphasized the importance of electric mobility in addressing pollution, adverse health effects, and fuel costs.

Kenya aims to eventually phase out combustion engine-powered motorbikes, as their increasing use across the continent poses serious implications for climate change and air quality. Although Africa only contributes 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it disproportionately suffers from the effects of climate change, according to the UN Environment Programme.

Spiro has already introduced nearly 10,000 electric bikes in countries like Benin, Togo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The company plans to establish 3,000 battery charging and swapping stations in Kenya, in addition to the 350 already present across Africa. The long-term goal is to roll out over one million electric vehicles throughout the country.

Uber also announced the launch of its own electric motorcycle taxis in Nairobi, marking the company's first venture of this kind in Africa. Initially, 3,000 bikes will be introduced, with the aim of reducing running costs for drivers by 30-35% and fares by 15-20%. Uber's regional general manager for the Middle East and Africa, Frans Hiemstra, stated that this launch aligns with the company's global efforts to become a zero-emissions platform by 2040.

The boda boda sector in Kenya, according to the World Bank, employs over 1.5 million young people and contributes approximately 202 billion Kenyan shillings ($1.4 billion) to the economy annually. The Kenyan government aims to have 5% of all registered vehicles be electric-powered by 2030. Currently, electric vehicles account for less than 1% of the total 4.4 million registered vehicles in the country.

Ruto, a prominent figure in African climate change efforts, believes that Kenya has the potential to generate 100% of its energy from renewable sources like hydro-electric, geothermal, solar, and wind power by 2030. However, the country faces challenges with frequent power cuts. A recent massive outage left several regions without electricity for hours, including Nairobi and its international airport. Additionally, fuel prices have reached their highest levels in over a decade, compounding the economic hardships faced by Kenyans due to the cost of living crisis and new taxes.

Source: AFP

FutureCar Staff