The Kenyan capital Nairobi is slowly introducing electric buses into the fleet of notoriously noisy and polluting matatus that ply its streets.
Drivers selected to operate these Chinese-made and locally assembled buses say passengers prefer them because they’re quieter, faster and more comfortable.
The rollout is still on a small scale: the $200,000 price tag for an electric bus is prohibitive, but the manufacturer is leasing them to operators to make them more affordable.
Charging is also an issue, with drivers reporting shorter ranges than advertised, and just three charging stations available in the city.
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NAIROBI — There are 22,000 buses on Nairobi’s crowded streets, the backbone of commuter transit for the Kenyan capital’s population of 5.3 million. The city’s matatus, privately owned public transport, are famously airbrushed with slogans and portraits of rap stars and English football clubs. Among these garish, growling, diesel-fueled hordes, there are now 35 quiet newcomers: electric buses assembled by a local company called BasiGo.
For the last six years, Isaac Kamau has been a bus driver in Nairobi, ferrying passengers between the central business district and the city’s residential outskirts. In 2022, Kamau was selected by his employer for training to operate an electric bus. “You had to have a good track record to benefit from such an opportunity,” Kamau told Mongabay.
Kamau’s training focused on eco-driving and safety, and he has relished driving his new vehicle. “Passengers prefer electric vehicles over traditional fossil-fueled ones. They rarely need convincing to board. EVs are more comfortable, faster, and operate without noise.”
Kamau’s is one of 35 electric buses operating in the city, with 14 more expected to hit the streets as 2024 closes. BasiGo, which assembles buses in Kenya from imported parts manufactured by Chinese bus and heavy truck maker CHTC, says it has received 500 preorders from bus operators.
A bus covered in brightly coloured slogans in the streets of Nairobi, luggage loaded on a rack on its roof. Image by CakeForBreakfast via Wikimedia. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Nairobi’s matatus are more than transportation. Their colorful artwork and loud soundsystems are part of the Kenyan capital’s cultural signature — they also contribute around 20% of the city’s transport-related air pollution. Image by CakeForBreakfast via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
“We aren’t going to see fossil fuel buses disappear overnight,” Moses Nderitu, BasiGo’s managing director, told Mongabay. “For many operators, fossil fuels represent a tried and tested solution and decades of reliability. But there is growing recognition that the future lies in electric transport.”
Oma Services Limited, one of the private companies known as saccos that operate Nairobi’s public transport fleet, has eight of the electric buses. Oma’s chair, George Githinji, aspires to be the first in the city to run an entirely electric fleet. “During a visit to China, I saw electric vehicles performing exceptionally well, even though, at the time, they relied on cable-based technology. When similar buses were piloted in Kenya but with rechargeable batteries, I was thrilled and decided to start by purchasing four EV buses,” he said.
“I’m happy that I am taking care of the environment, noise is minimal and emission is zero, we are taking care of our future generation.”
Charles Aholi, executive director of the National Public Transport Alliance (NAPTA), told Mongabay that, “Our public transport sector consists of aging vehicles that are poorly maintained, often idling for long periods while waiting for passengers, which significantly increases emissions. By shifting to e-mobility, we can address this issue and provide clean, environmentally sustainable transportation.”
However, at more than $200,000 each, BasiGo’s e-buses cost three times more than the diesel-fueled vehicles they’re replacing. To overcome this, BasiGo offers operators a leasing option, under which bus companies make an initial payment of 1 million shillings (around $7,700) and then pay BasiGo a fixed rate per kilometer driven, a minimum of $3,000 per month.
“Currently, no EV buses in Nairobi are owned outright; all have been leased on a five-year term. We pay per kilometer as we drive, making the arrangement complicated,” said Nelson Mwangi, a bus operator with Super Metro Sacco.
Another obstacle to switching to electric buses is keeping their batteries charged. BasiGo says the range for its 26-seat buses is 250 kilometers (155 miles), while the 36-seater is 300 km (186 mi). But bus driver Stanley Kamau Mwangi, who begins his day at 6 a.m., says he typically covers about 140 km (87 mi) by 4 p.m., by which time the battery indicator on the 26-seater dips down to 10%.
“I have to recharge it to at least 30% so as to drive late in the evening and get to 200 kilometers,” or 124 miles, said Mwangi. But he told Mongabay that when he’s assigned to drive the larger model, the charge carries him through the whole day.
Two white electric buses with black and green BasiGo branding parked on a major roadway, near a pedestrian overpass. Image courtesy BasiGo.
Two of the electric buses in Nairobi: drivers say commuters are enthusiastic about the quiet and comfort the buses provide. Image courtesy of BasiGo.
BasiGo operates three charging stations in Nairobi where the buses can fully recharge in two hours. The buses typically recharge at a station overnight, but often need to return to one of the stations for a partial recharge during the day.
The company’s managing director says driver behavior and style have a big effect on the range of electric buses, but they can arrange their day to recharge if needed.
“When the drivers take breaks between 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., we allow them to do a daytime top-up charge,” he told Mongabay.
“As more players enter the market, we can expect to see an increase in charging facilities, as the current lack of charging infrastructure remains a significant barrier,” Nderitu said. The company also promises that a new, larger bus model, chosen with feedback from Kenyan operators in mind, will have a maximum range of 400 km (about 250 mi).
Electric vehicles are an important component of the Kenyan government’s plans to achieve a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. By 2025, the government envisions that at least 5% of all registered vehicles in Kenya will be electric. To make them more affordable, the government has lowered taxes for EV manufacturers and buyers and introduced an e-mobility tariff, making electricity for recharging electric vehicles cheaper.
Nderitu said the government could still do more to support the sector: “If the idea behind decarbonizing transport is to combat climate change, then the incentives need to be a bit more aggressive to allow a more rapid growth.”
Banner image: One of the BasiGo electric buses in Nairobi. Image courtesy of BasiGo.
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Vans and vendors with umbrellas protecting their wares from the sun at Nairobi's Ngara bus stop. Image by Raffael Beier via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A crowded bus station in Nairobi. Image by Raffael Beier via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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