The government has revealed plans to phase out all non-electric matatus and buses by the end of the year 2027.
Speaking at an event showcasing electric buses assembled in Kenya on Tuesday, Rebecca Miano, the Cabinet Secretary for Trade stated that the country’s plan was to reform the transport sector and set it on a compass towards sustainability.
According to the CS, Kenya’s dependency on fossil fuels was hampering the development of the transport sector and the country's climate action goals.
Further, the CS noted that the country had already made strides in incentivizing the transition to electric mobility by zero-rating electric vehicle imports.
The launch showcased buses assembled by BasiGo, an e-mobility startup based in Thika. The company has already manufactured buses for notable saccos such as CitiHoppa and SuperMetro.
During the event, the company committed to delivering 1,000 buses in the next three years while creating 300 jobs in the process.
According to the company's CEO, Jit Bhattacharya, BasiGo has already set a target of assembling 20 buses per month.
This is also in line with the Ministry of Trade’s goals to increase the country’s GDP by 15 per cent by 2027 and 20 per cent by 2030.
CS Miano also noted that to date, electric buses in the country had already cruised more than Ksh1.5 million kilometres and transported more than 2.1 million passengers by March 2024.
The initiative is also aimed at placing Kenya on the global map in terms of leading the initiative against Climate Change.
In 2023, acquisition of electric vehicles and motorcycles rose by 729 units between February and June.
Data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in 2023 showed that over 2,079 electric units were sold in the second quota in 2023, up from 1,350 units in the first quota in 2023.
