President William Ruto’s ambition to achieve 100 percent renewable power by 2030 is on top gear as his administration pushes for the adoption of electric mobility (E-Mobility) in the transport sector.
The Electric Mobility (E-Mobility) Task Force team, under the Ministry of Transport, is gathering views from the public on the Draft National E-Mobility Policy, Kenya. The policy was launched in March this year. Abdullahi Ali, a member of the electric mobility taskforce, yesterday said electric mobility will be crucial in streamlining the transport sector which is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
“As a country, we have had challenges relating to petroleum imports. Hence, electrification of our transport was a good avenue through which we could cushion the shilling and the dollar. Also, we cannot divorce the issues of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions,” Abdullahi said.
He was speaking in Nyeri town during a public participation forum that involved residents and stakeholders in the transport sector from Mt Kenya region. Participants questioned the taskforce on whether the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to electric vehicles (EVs) was sustainable, especially in the transport sector.
“This is an agricultural region, and we are concerned whether the electric motorcycles will be hardy enough to transport heavy loads of produce from the farms. Will the motorbikes be effective enough?” questioned Peter Mwangi, a boda boda operator.
Mary Wangare, another participant, said: “Can this taskforce guarantee us that the quality of batteries that will be used in the electric motorbikes and vehicles are of good quality? Will they be durable?”.
Abdullahi said, in the policy framework, the taskforce will demand manufacturers of the electric vehicles and motorcycles to ensure that they are of good quality to withstand conditions of different terrain in the country. “The policy, once adopted, will demand that the imported electric motorcycles and vehicles are fit for various terrain including rough roads and mountainous regions. They should be able to survive in all terrain,” the taskforce member said.
“We have to ensure that the companies are not importing substandard batteries and other products into the country. We must have appropriate standards to make sure that quality is not interfered with,” he added.
During the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, President Ruto outlined a number of green projects rolled out in Kenya which includes electrification of the transport sector.