Kenya Takes a Policy Step Toward Electric Mobility

The 3^rd of February 2026 marked a significant milestone for Kenya’s transport future with the launch of the National E-Mobility Policy (2026) at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). The launch brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and the public to reaffirm a collective commitment to advancing the country towards sustainable and more efficient mobility. The eighteen-member task force included renewable energy and e-mobility experts from Strathmore University, Prof Izael Da Silva (Eng), DVC Research and Innovation, and UNESCO Chair as well as Anne Njoroge and Ignatius Maranga, Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC).

The launch was complemented by an outdoor exhibition featuring charging infrastructure, electric motorcycles, buses, cars, and bicycles, among others, from different industry players such as Drivelectric, BasiGo, and Advance Mobility, which offered a practical demonstration of electric mobility in action and emphasised a shared vision for its future. These technologies, however, were not the message by themselves. The primary focus was policy direction, with a focus on how Kenya intends to support, guide, and scale e-mobility over the coming years.

Why This Policy Matters Now

The transport sector plays a key role in Kenya’s economic and environmental challenges. An estimated 13% of Kenya’s national greenhouse gas emission is from transport. With the current trend, this is predicted to increase to 17% by 2030. In addition, Kenya is highly dependent on petroleum fuel imports, with the transport sector accounting for approximately 72% of petroleum fuels in Kenya (Kenya, National Electric Mobility Policy, 2026).

Electric mobility has the potential to address Kenya’s environmental and economic challenges. With approximately 90% of Kenya’s energy being renewable, electric mobility can leverage on its clean energy to reduce emissions (Kenya, National Electric Mobility Policy, 2026)

Where Kenya Is Today on E-Mobility

E-mobility in Kenya is no longer just an idea; it is already taking shape. The uptake of e-mobility has been growing steadily, especially for electric two- and three-wheelers, which align well with urban transport, delivery services, and informal mobility needs. Although electric vehicles have a small share of total vehicle registrations in Kenya, the steady growth trend suggests increasing market confidence and awareness.

What has been missing is an integrated framework that would help the sector go beyond pilots and initiatives. This is what the policy aims to provide.

What the Policy Signals

The National E-Mobility Policy does not focus on setting targets but signals its intent in the following ways:

• It encourages local participation, specifically, skills development, vehicle assembly, and job creation
• It recognises e-mobility as both an environmental and a national development opportunity issue
• It acknowledges the need for financing, infrastructure, inclusion, and research institutions to work collectively to drive this transition.

Importantly, the policy also emphasises the inclusion of youth, women, and persons with disabilities in the development of this ecosystem and its markets.

Challenges That Cannot Be Ignored

The policy launch does not automatically guarantee a simple transition. We still have limited charging infrastructure, gaps around grid readiness, vehicle affordability issues, and the need for long-term road financing. To address this, all sector players, public and private institutions, utilities, training institutions, and consumers need to collaborate.

The policy provides a needed path; however, its implementation will determine the impact.

Going Forward

The launch of the National E-Mobility Policy is just a step forward, not the end. It is an enabler for coordinated action, skill development, and investment across Kenya’s transport and energy sectors.

As electric mobility becomes more visible on Kenyan roads, the more important question may not be what the policy says, but how different actors choose to respond to it and what role each of us plays in shaping a cleaner mobility future.

It is critical for sector stakeholders to study the policy and support its implementation as the nation seeks to lead the mobility transition. In response to the bold move by the government, the Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy Centre (CEPREC) is geared towards empowering Africa’s Energy transition through fostering multisectoral, interdisciplinary collaboration among government, industry, and academia.

CEPREC recognises the opportunity presented by the uptake of e-mobility to develop innovative use of second-life batteries in microgrid energy storage. With over 600 million Africans living without electricity, CEPREC is committed to powering Africa’s future through knowledge, innovation and skills for Africa’s energy transition.

The article is written by Sheila Chepkorir, Project Assistant for CEPREC, who attended the launch at KICC

The photos selected are from this link (https://engage12.pixieset.com/ifcatemobilitypolicylaunch/gokofficialsspeeches/)

References

1. Agency, I. E. (2025). Kenya energy profile. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/
2. Kenya, G. o. (2026). National electric mobility policy. Ministry of Roads and Transport. Retrieved from https://www.transport.go.ke/sites/default/files/Emobility Policy Final.pdf