Kenya’s progress toward electric mobility (e-mobility) has been slow, not for a lack of ambition, but because of a policy framework that presents several implementation gaps.
While e-mobility promises cleaner transportation and reduced fossil fuel dependency, the draft National E-Mobility Policy launched in March 2024 has yet to provide a comprehensive roadmap to realise this potential. Weak coordination, insufficient focus on renewable energy, and unclear roles for key stakeholders, particularly county governments, are major setback to its implementation.
The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (2020) set an ambitious target: Five percent of all newly registered vehicles in Kenya should be electric-powered by 2025. This commitment places Kenya on a path to decarbonisation, in line with global efforts to mitigate climate change.
The transport sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately 20 percent of total global carbon emissions, with road transport alone responsible for 75 percent, equating to 3 billion metric tonnes annually. This makes the push for electric vehicles not only an environmental imperative but an economic opportunity for Kenya.
However, the progress is hindered by high import duties (currently up to 25 percent) and excise taxes (up to 20 percent), which make EVs less affordable. In contrast, Ethiopia has taken a proactive approach by offering a 0 percent import duty and a five-year VAT exemption on electric vehicles.
As of 2023, around 12 percent of Ethiopia's public transport fleet was electric, positioning the country as a regional leader in e-mobility.
Despite these challenges, county governments play a crucial role in managing Kenya’s road networks and local infrastructure. However, the current policy sidelines them by offering little clarity on their roles or the resources they need to facilitate e-mobility adoption.
Although counties are expected to set up charging stations and infrastructure, they lack the financial support and technical expertise to do so effectively. This oversight is especially problematic for underfunded counties, which risk being excluded from the transition altogether.
Another significant gap is the policy’s failure to harness Kenya’s abundant renewable energy resources.
While it acknowledges the high cost and unreliability of electricity, the policy does not propose practical solutions such as integrating solar power into charging stations or decentralising energy generation. Solar-powered infrastructure could lower costs and provide a more sustainable energy source for e-mobility.
In addition to renewable energy challenges, the absence of a clear strategy for electrifying rail transport is another missed opportunity in the draft policy. Kenya has made previous commitments to electrify the standard gauge railway (SGR), yet the draft policy does not address this critical issue.
Electrifying rail transport, which serves as the backbone of Kenya’s mass transit system could significantly reduce carbon emissions while improving efficiency and reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Integrating electric trains into the broader e-mobility strategy would demonstrate a commitment to sustainable transportation across multiple sectors, setting a model for other countries in Africa and beyond.
While the policy outlines a phased approach for transitioning public service vehicles from fossil fuel engines to electric alternatives, it lacks specific guidance on how county governments can contribute to or facilitate this transition. Public transport, which constitutes a significant proportion of road traffic in Kenya, has the potential to significantly reduce emissions if converted to electric vehicles.
However, without adequate policies in place to facilitate this shift, including providing financial incentives for operators, ensuring adequate charging infrastructure, and building capacity at the county level, the transition will remain stagnant.
The draft policy also falls short of aligning with other key national policies related to energy, transport, and environmental sustainability, such as the Integrated National Transport Policy (2015). There remains a persistent lack of coordination in the planning and management of transport systems, with transport planning still largely centralised at the national level.
Yet county governments oversee 72 percent of the roads in Kenya, and their involvement is crucial to the success of a national e-mobility strategy. Without a coherent framework that integrates county governments into the planning and implementation of e-mobility, the policy will continue to face implementation challenges that hinder its success.
Given that the National E-Mobility Policy is still in draft form, it has yet to offer the binding authority and specificity needed for full implementation.
The Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development, and Public Works should prioritise finalising and implementing the National E-Mobility Policy by providing clear mandates, strategies, and timelines for action.
It should also collaborate with county governments to ensure they are equipped with the necessary resources and training to support the transition, while emphasising the integration of renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, in the e-mobility infrastructure.
The writer is a Researcher, Mashariki Research and Policy Centre, Kenya
