The government is banking on the uptake of electric-mobility to boost its plan of achieving carbon zero target by 2030.
Under the plan, Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir disclosed that the State is planning to increase the number of electric-motorcycles on the roads by 30 per cent to 500, 000 in the next two years. This will require an additional 500 megawatts power generation to operate the machines.
“We are on course on the 92 per cent energy mix for charging motorbikes currently, but as we work on the energy sector, we want to also rope in the mobility industry so that the true target of reaching 100 per cent carbon neutral for Kenya is not only achieved on power generation but also on the mobility,”
The additional e-bikes he noted will not only aid the government achieve its climate obligation but also put more money on the pockets of boda boda operators by reducing cost of operations by one third.
He called on the power generators to start working on the additional 500 megawatts to power the new bikes immediately.
Speaking during a tour of Roam Park, an Electric motorcycle assembly plant in Nairobi, Governor Johnson Sakaja said Nairobi County is keen on being net zero city in Africa. As part of intervention to promote electric bikes in the city, the county is working on legislations to create more charging stations across the city.
“We are going to partner with e-bikes companies to ensure that the charging stations are in all our estates to reduce the range anxiety among riders. We will explore in the County Finance Bill ways of reducing cost of setting up charging stations and rates applicable to them,” he said.
The government estimates revenue from the boda boda industry at Sh1 billion per day. Due to the significance of the sector in job creation to the youth, President William Ruto said the government is on course to streamlining the industry in order maximize its potential.
He said the Finance Act aims at addressing the cost of operation by removing taxes on electric motorcycles, spare parts, battery, charging equipment, and reducing cost of power on the charging stations.
During his tour of Roam Park on Tuesday, the President noted that the facility which is capable of producing 50,000 electric motorcycle per year represent a significant milestone not for only the company but also for nation. “It exemplifies Kenya’s determination to embrace a more sustainable future while fostering technological advancement,” he said. “The assembly plant will not only contribute to our environmental goals but also foster economic growth by creating jobs and nurturing local talent in the automotive industry.”
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