Kenya in race to become a regional leader in electrification of transport

Kenya is racing to become a regional leader in the electrification of transport in an effort to catch up with the rest of the world and stay on the net-zero carbon path.

Despite the advantages of electric vehicles (EVs), they remain a relative rarity in developing countries. A World Bank report shows that most of the world’s 6.6 million EV sales in 2021 were concentrated in major global markets such as China, Europe and the United States.

The reason? Electric vehicles come at a cost premium, sometimes 70 percent more expensive than conventional ones, creating a financial barrier for many consumers.

However, electric buses, which cover long mileage and offer high occupancy, and electric two- and three-wheeled vehicles, which provide last-mile connectivity, can be cost-effective, giving policymakers and investors a strong economic case to accelerate e-mobility adoption.

The potential benefits are there to be seen. Besides decarbonisation, two-wheelers are a dominant form of transporting people and goods in rural areas. A switch to electric motorbikes will significantly cut the country’s dependence on expensive fuel.

There are already early wins reported in innovative start-ups in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, which are providing cheaper alternatives by exploring lower-cost options for electric buses and trucks.

Respiratory diseases are the deadliest conditions killing most Kenyans. This has been linked to deteriorating air quality. But it is not a unique problem to Kenya since in many large cities across the world, unclean air is responsible for around seven million fatalities globally each year.

But for Kenya to achieve these benefits, there is work to be done. A good place to start is to scrap all the taxes that make adoption prohibitive due to the initial costs. The country must also create tangible incentives to attract more capital to the sector which is critical to scaling.

But at the heart of this must be the urgent reforms in the energy sector to ensure that Kenya runs on clean and efficient energy. There is no point of the country’s transportation system running on electricity if it is being generated from expensive thermal plants.