Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 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, Cabinet Secretary for Trade Rebecca Miano 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.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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