Electric mobility firm BasiGo has rolled out Kenya's first pilot program for electric matatus operating on inter-city routes.
The pilot will test electric passenger vans on the Nyahururu-Nyeri, Nyahururu-Nakuru, and Thika-Nairobi corridors in partnership with 4NTE Sacco and Manchester Travellers Sacco.
Each of the vans developed by the company is capable of covering up to 300 kilometers on a single charge and can recharge in about 1.5 hours, with charging infrastructure now installed in Nyahururu and Thika to support the program.
The electric vans are being offered under BasiGo's Pay-As-You-Drive lease model, which the company says reduces the financial burden on operators seeking to shift away from fossil fuels.
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Moses Nderitu, BasiGo's Managing Director in Kenya, said the project is a step toward modernizing an iconic part of the country's public transport system.
"We are delighted to extend electric mobility beyond Nairobi and electrify an iconic part of Kenya's history; the matatu," Nderitu said.
"By partnering with visionary SACCOs like 4NTE and Manchester, we're showing that electric mobility is not only possible but practical for intercity and inter-county transit," he added.
4NTE SACCO Chair Wilfred Daniel Kimotho described the partnership as a leap forward in innovation for the sector.
"This is about embracing innovation and delivering better service to our customers. It places us at the forefront of a transport revolution which is electric, efficient, and built for the future," Kimotho said.
BasiGo also announced plans to assemble the electric vans locally, a move the company says will generate jobs and build technical capacity in Kenya's growing clean energy sector.
The company aims to deploy over 1,000 electric vans across Kenya in the coming years, aligning with the country's climate goals while offering a scalable model for clean public transport in the region.
According to the Draft National E-mobility Policy, Kenya is actively pursuing a significant shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) with ambitious targets.
The policy aims for 5% of all newly registered vehicles to be electric by the end of 2025, with a long-term vision of achieving 100% EV adoption by 2050.
