The national government, on Thursday, November 24, unveiled plans to revamp the country’s transport system by stepping up the establishment of electric car charging stations.
The plans were revealed after Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen) launched a roadmap to guide the country to transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles (EVs).
To achieve their plan, the company clarified that about 30 electric vehicle charging stations will be built in the country by December 2023.
The utility firm noted that electric cars will address some of the issues that bedevil Kenya’s transport sector.
“I am glad to announce that in the next one year, we plan to roll out about 30 EV charging stations in major cities across the country,” Abraham Serem, Acting Managing Director and CEO of KenGen, stated.
KenGen revealed that it had already set up two electric car charging stations in Nairobi and Naivasha.
The firm divulged that it will set up more plants in Murang’a, Embu, Kisumu county and others inside their power stations across the country.
“The development of e-mobility is an area that will require a multi-sectoral approach. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and working together with key partners, we have no doubt that this transition will pick up pace faster than envisaged,” Serem added.
To further encourage Kenyans to embrace e-mobility, KenGen acquired four Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Nairobi.
KenGen noted that the two SUVs and double cabin trucks will help the company gather data, which will help in policy development towards embracing e-mobility.
The launch came just hours after a report ranked Nairobi among cities with the worst public transport systems.
The 2022 Urban Mobility Readiness Index, compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies, placed Nairobi at position 59 out of 60 cities worldwide.
According to the report, Nairobi ranked low due to less developed transport system and moderate car ownership rates.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
