President William Ruto on Tuesday, July 25 announced that in the coming months, more charging ports shall be set up across the country to ensure that the cost of charging electric vehicles is reduced.
Ruto clarified that through the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA), specific charging areas, especially ports, will have a reduced tariff. According to the Head of State, the special electric tariff will significantly lower the cost of charging electric motorbikes.
Ruto intimated that it will only cost Ksh60 to charge an electric motorbike which will be enough to use it for an entire day. The objective is to make electric vehicles more accessible and encourage their wider adoption of e-mobility.
"We have ensured that where there are charging ports, motorists will pay less instead of using Ksh100 you will only use Ksh60," Ruto stated.
While touring Roam Park, Ruto was impressed by a female boda rider called Lilian, who has embraced electric motorcycles who was earning a sustainable living from the business.
Ruto learned that Lilian was using Ksh100 to charge her bike at home which allows her to operate the whole day. He lauded the young lady's entrepreneurial spirit.
The President offered to offset the loans taken by Lilian and ten others with a view to spearhead the e-mobility business.
The Head of State disclosed that at the end of 2024, at least 200,000 electric vehicles will be in use.
"This is the direction we must go, I understand that it will take a bit of time to manufacture vehicles but we are willing to intervene to ensure production is cheaper," he vowed
“We shall remove the 16 VAT on the electric motorcycles, this means the cost of the electric motorcycles will drop by 16 per cent,” he added.
He explained that through the Finance Act, VAT on spare parts, batteries and other materials used in the production had been reduced.
"We have policy interventions in our Finance Act specifically e-mobility and our boda boda people because they contribute about Ksh1 billion daily," Ruto remarked.
According to Ruto, the move will create more jobs for the youth in the country.
