How green is Nairobi:motorcycle taxis become electric

Over the course of six months, there should be at least 3,000 "e-motos" that can be booked by Kenyan passengers

Nairobi (KENYA) – The "boda bodas", the motorbike taxis that keep Nairobi moving, are becoming electric:bypassing both traffic jams and expensive petrol and also contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The acceleration follows the Africa Climate Summit, the continental summit to combat climate change wanted in the Kenyan capital by President William Ruto.Last week the head of state arrived at the Convention Center where around 30 thousand delegates were waiting for him on board an electric small car.And he set a goal for two wheels too:by 2024 the number of "e-motos" in the country will have to multiply by one hundred, going from the current 2 thousand to over 200 thousand.

It also moved Uber, the American multinational that offers customers a means of transport plus a driver.Its general manager for Africa, Kagiso Khaole, announced the “Electric Boda” service: Over the course of six months, there should be at least 3,000 "e-motos" that can be booked by Kenyan passengers. Khaole also said that passengers "will feel less noise and less shaking" during transportation.But above all, the numbers count:Drivers would benefit from a 30 or 35 percent reduction in operating costs, while customers would save 15 or 20 percent compared to an ordinary Uber ride.

Kenya has long proposed a leading role in the "green transition" in Africa. It has been calculated that approximately 90 percent of the energy produced nationally comes from wind, geothermal and other renewable sources.In terms of electric mobility, however, an obstacle could be the lack of battery charging and replacement stations. New commitments in this area have been undertaken by some local companies. And another signal was given by Spiro, the first manufacturer of electric motorcycles in Africa, with operational bases and activities in Rwanda, Uganda, Togo and Benin.

The company has signed an agreement with the Kenyan government to build 3,000 battery charging and replacement stations which would strengthen the national infrastructure.The agreement then provides for the opening of an electric vehicle factory.Just a year after its birth, Spiro reports that it has already put 10 thousand electric motorcycles on the market, “allowing 90 million kilometers of eco-sustainable travel with a saving of 5 thousand tons of Co2 emissions”.According to CEO Jules Samain, "with Kenya there is a shared vision on how to tackle the climate crisis, promote public health and increase the profitability of boda bodas".