Electric Vehicles in Kenya: The Growing EV Market, Charging Infrastructure, and Policy Framework

Kenya's electric vehicle market is experiencing rapid early growth, driven by government policy incentives, falling technology costs, a clean energy grid powered predominantly by renewables, and the entrepreneurial energy of local and international EV companies. From 796 registered electric vehicles in 2022, Kenya's EV fleet has skyrocketed to over 35,000 by December 2025, with electric motorcycles leading the charge and electric buses transforming public transport in Nairobi. The launch of the National Electric Mobility Policy in February 2026, backed by comprehensive tax breaks, signals the government's commitment to positioning Kenya as East Africa's electric mobility hub.

Market Size and Growth Trajectory

Kenya's EV registrations have grown at an extraordinary pace, with sales increasing by 108 percent between 2022 and 2023. By May 2025, there were 9,047 registered EVs, rising to over 35,000 by year-end. Electric motorcycles and bicycles dominate the market, comprising 95.2 percent of all registered EVs, reflecting the central role of two-wheelers in Kenya's transport ecosystem. Kiri EV, known for affordable electric motorcycles, leads the two-wheeler market, while four-wheeled EVs from global brands including Volkswagen, Nissan, Tesla, BYD, and BMW are gaining traction among urban consumers.

Energy consumption for electric mobility reached 5.04 GWh in the financial year ending June 2025, a 300 percent increase from 1.26 GWh in the previous year. Kenyans charged 8.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for EVs in 2025, nearly triple the 2.9 million kWh consumed in 2024, indicating a decisive shift from novelty to mainstream transport. Kenya Power saw EV charging revenues climb to KES 191 million in 2025, up from KES 65 million in 2024.

Electric Buses: Transforming Public Transport

BasiGo, a Nairobi-based electric bus company, raised USD 42 million in 2024 to deploy 1,000 electric buses across Kenya and Rwanda. BasiGo's pay-per-kilometre financing model allows public transport operators to transition to electric buses without the prohibitive upfront cost of purchasing vehicles, paying instead a daily rate that is competitive with diesel operating costs. The company has expanded its charging infrastructure with new stations at strategic locations including the Shell Athi River service station.

Roam (formerly Opibus), a Swedish-Kenyan electric vehicle manufacturer, has placed approximately 3,500 electric motorbikes on Kenyan roads since 2017 and manufactures electric buses at its Nairobi facility. Roam partnered with QuickMart in February 2025 to establish charging stations at select retail locations and plans to introduce universal fast chargers in Machakos, Thika, Kiambu, and Kajiado in 2026. Other e-bus operators including Cue Transport and Enda (EcoBus) are expanding electric public transport routes within Nairobi.

Charging Infrastructure

Kenya's EV charging network has expanded rapidly, with approximately 60 charging stations for four-wheelers and 300 battery swap stations for electric motorcycles operational by September 2025. Key infrastructure players include Kenya Power, which operates a dedicated e-mobility tariff charging KES 16 per unit during peak hours and KES 8 during off-peak times, TotalEnergies, BasiGo, Roam, and ChargeNet Kenya.

Forty-five new charging stations were added in 2025, with installations concentrated along high-traffic corridors, business districts, and transport hubs in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Kisumu. The development of fast-charging networks along the Nairobi-Mombasa, Nairobi-Nakuru, and Nairobi-Thika highways is critical for enabling intercity EV travel and reducing range anxiety among potential adopters. Battery swap stations, particularly for electric motorcycles, provide rapid turnaround times that match the operational needs of boda boda riders who cannot afford lengthy charging stops.

National Electric Mobility Policy

Kenya launched its National Electric Mobility Policy on 3 February 2026, creating a comprehensive regulatory framework with significant tax incentives. The policy eliminates VAT on electric buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and lithium-ion batteries, and reduces excise duty on these items to zero, effective from July 2026. Stamp duty for charging station installations will be reduced in 2027, further incentivising infrastructure investment.

The government has set a target of procuring 3,000 electric vehicles for ministries by end of 2027, creating a substantial public sector demand signal. The policy aims to reduce dependence on imported petroleum fuels, lower transport emissions, improve urban air quality, strengthen energy security, and create new jobs in green industries. However, the policy acknowledges that displacement of petrol and diesel vehicles will create a projected USD 693 million shortfall in fuel tax collections by 2043, requiring the development of alternative revenue mechanisms.

Kenya's Clean Energy Advantage

Kenya possesses a significant advantage for electric mobility in that approximately 90 percent of its electricity generation comes from renewable sources, predominantly geothermal (accounting for over 45 percent of generation), hydropower, wind, and solar. This means that EVs operating in Kenya produce substantially lower lifecycle carbon emissions than those in countries dependent on coal or gas-fired electricity generation. The Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) and independent power producers provide a clean energy foundation that makes the environmental case for electric mobility particularly compelling.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Despite the positive trajectory, challenges remain. The upfront cost of electric four-wheelers remains two to three times higher than equivalent internal combustion engine vehicles, placing them beyond the reach of most Kenyan consumers. Charging infrastructure, while expanding rapidly, is still concentrated in Nairobi and a few urban centres, limiting viable EV use in rural areas. The availability of trained technicians for EV maintenance and repair is limited, and the supply chain for spare parts is still developing.

Battery disposal and recycling infrastructure is virtually non-existent, raising environmental concerns about end-of-life battery management. Grid reliability in some areas poses challenges for consistent charging availability. Nevertheless, with the electric motorcycle segment demonstrating that affordable electric mobility is viable in the Kenyan market, falling global battery prices, comprehensive government policy support, and growing private sector investment, Kenya is well positioned to lead East Africa's transition to electric transport over the coming decade.