Kenya Power has announced complimentary access to their Electric Vehicle (EV) charging systems for motorists.
In a statement, the utility company highlighted that its two charging stations would be available to Kenyan electric vehicle owners.
The two charging stations are located at Stima Plaza along Kolobot Road and Ruaraka.
However, individuals interested in availing themselves of the free service will need to obtain cards from the utility firm beforehand.
"Did you know that Kenya Power has two electric vehicle (EV) chargers, one at Stima Plaza and the other at Ruaraka, which will be open for free use by members of the public who own EVs?
"An RFID card for charging will be required, which can be obtained at the Kenya Power security desk at Stima Plaza and Ruaraka," read the statement in part.
According to Kenya Power, the decision to open up the charging stations for free is aimed at ensuring helping them in research on e-mobility in the country.
Notably, the Stima Plaza charging station was launched early in the week alongside two electric vehicles.
"The charging station comprises of a 50 kW DC (1 hour charging time) and a 22 kW AC (2 hour charging time) charger," Kenya Power noted.
According to a report by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), there are slightly over 3,000 vehicles in the country. Most of the vehicles were imported into the country in 2023.
"During the review period 2,694 electric vehicles (EVs) were registered, bringing the cumulative number of registered EVs to 3,753. The increase in registered EVs may be attributed to government initiatives such as the introduction of the e-mobility tariff, reduction of excise duty on EVs from 20 per cent to 10 per cent and exemption of fully electric cars from Value Added Tax (VAT).
"As of December 2023, EVs constituted 1.62 per cent of vehicles registered that year, with the country aiming to reach 5 per cent by 2025, as outlined in the Kenya National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, 2020," read the report in part.
