President Ruto Launches Electric Boda Bodas in Mombasa

President William Ruto promised Kenyans a transition to electric mobility during the Madaraka Day celebrations three months ago.

On September 1, he launched electric motorcycles at Mama Ngina Water Front in Mombasa, fulfilling his promise to provide cheaper motorcycles, job opportunities for the youth, and make Kenya a green country. Dr Ruto’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint inspired him to embark on the e-mobility journey. As the motorcycle industry is a vital part of the country’s last-mile transport aspect, Dr Ruto believes that it should take precedence in undergoing the transition to a green economy.

The electric Bodaboda will retail at Sh160,000 if bought in cash. He said that the price has been reduced from Sh300,000 due to the reduction of tax on materials and parts used in the assembly of electric motor vehicles. President Ruto hopes that Spiro, their partner in the project, will start assembling the motorcycles in Kenya within six months. The president has permitted the company to import 10,000 electric motorcycles as part of the first phase of the transition to e-mobility. However, once the shift to e-mobility becomes successful, an embargo will be put in place.

Bodaboda riders can purchase the two-wheelers on hire purchase for a total of Sh190,000 with less than 10% interest. Riders who manage to get the bike on hire purchase will have Sh 236 automatically deducted from their Mpesa accounts and a battery replacement at the available replacement points will cost Sh220. Ruto explains that for the price of around Sh500, riders can travel for about 70 km with good efficiency which is better than petroleum-run motorcycles.

During the launch, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen opined that electric motorcycles result in safer roads as they have enforced speed limits that do not allow the electric bodaboda to exceed 60 km/h. This is particularly significant given over 5,000 road users succumb to accidents on Kenya motorways with bodabodas accounting for 3000 deaths. The CS Murkomen stated that the motorcycles are theft-proof due to their remote monitoring and remote shutdown capabilities.

The project involves various partners such as Safaricom, Spiro, and Kenya Commercial Bank. Present during the launch was Governor Abdulswammad Nassir who promised to purchase a minimum of 12 motorcycles for the Sacco in his six constituencies to assist the county’s bodaboda riders.