CS Miano
Industrialization Cabinet Secretary (CS), Rebecca Miano, now says that the country expects to have moved fully towards the use of electric buses by the year 2027.
Miano said the move is in line with the government’s agenda of transforming the transport sector, through the reduction of carbon emissions, to address the negative effects of climate change.
Speaking during the roll-out of the country’s first lot of electric buses, assembled in the country by BasiGo Company in partnership with the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) in Thika town, today, the CS said the Ministry has launched the Draft National Electric Mobility Policy, that will mark the beginning of the journey.
She said the policy proposes the establishment of incentives meant to increase the uptake of electric vehicles, including the reduction of excise duty on electric powered vehicles to 10 percent, as in the Finance Act, 2023.
Other efforts, she said, are the revision of the Integrated National Transport Policy (2009), to accommodate electric vehicles and the requisite infrastructure, as well as the development of an Automotive Policy, to stimulate the assembly and manufacture of vehicles, with a specific focus on electric vehicles.
“The Government recognizes the critical role that investment such as BasiGo plays in driving economic growth, creating employment opportunities and improving the livelihoods of our citizens. We have, therefore, prioritized the creation of a conducive business and investment environment, with robust policies, besides streamlining regulations and setting-up strategic incentives, aimed at attracting and retaining investors,” she said.
She added that the partnership between BasiGo and KVM, is Kenya’s first dedicated, high-volume assembly line, for modern electric buses.
“By March this year, BasiGo’s electric buses had driven over 1.5 million kilometers in Kenya, carried over 2.1 million passengers and side-stepped over 680 tons of greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.
BasiGo CEO, Jit Bhattacharya, said the company intend to deliver 1,000 locally assembled electric buses in the next three years and create 300 green manufacturing jobs in Kenya.
“We shall be assembling 20 buses every month and the orders are many. We intend to work round the clock to increase the number, because the demand may rise with time,” said Bhattacharya.
Among the electric buses that were flagged-off, today, are for Citi Hoppa and Super Metro bus Companies.
The Citti Hoppa CEO, Judy Thuo, welcomed the new buses, saying the fleet will improve the image of the Company and address customer demands of moving towards new technologies.
She welcomed the 2027 deadline of fully moving towards the use of electric buses, saying with the right policies, the timeframe is achievable.
“With the increased competition in the matatu industry, there is a need to rebrand and move with technology as demanded by the customers. We have ordered several electric buses, and they will help us move the journey of customer satisfaction,” said Thuo.