Electric Motorbikes Launch

In addition to this project, UNEP has several other initiatives to see to uptake of sustainable mobility through its Global Electric Mobility programme. This programme is supporting developing countries to formulate policies to see to the transition to electric mobility with funding from several other donors namely the European Commission; Hewlett Foundation; FIA Foundation; Global Environment Facility and the Swedish International Development Agency.

Speakers at the launch at Karura highlighted the importance of supporting the transition to electric mobility in Kenya.

• UNEP Deputy Executive Director Ms Joyce Musya stressed that the launch was a manifestation of urgently needed transformation to electric mobility due to rising pollutant and climate emissions from mobility, as well as the socio-economic sustainable development benefits awaiting countries that transition to electric mobility. She also commended the strong collaboration between government, civil society and the private sector manifest in the electric motorcycle pilots pointing that it’s precisely because of this collaboration that the shift will happen.  
• Mr. Bernard Ngugi, Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Power highlighted the importance of electric mobility as one of the key opportunities that the Utility is looking to as it repositions itself in line with Kenya’s medium-term development agenda. The CEO pointed out that Kenya is poised for this transition given the enabling environment already set in Kenya with an expanding national grid that is approaching 100% generation of electricity via renewables.    
• Remarks by Mr. James Macharia, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure Housing, Urban Development and Public Works were made made for him by Mr. Solomon Kitungu, Principal Secretary in the Ministry. He pointed out that transitioning to electric mobility was a critical component of the government’s climate strategy.  In line with this, he underscored the government’s commitment to implement fiscal incentives for electric vehicles to help meet the government’s target of 5% of all newly registered vehicles to be electric by 2025.  
• His Excellency Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu County detailed the long collaboration between the UN as well as other development partners in implementing sustainable mobility in Kisumu. Electric mobility he said, represented a culmination of many efforts to de-motorize, decongest and de-carbonize movement within the County. Further, he expressed great optimizing of seeing to a re-energization automotive of assembly in Kenya starting with electric 2&3 wheeler assembly in Kisumu.  
• Mr Nigel Topping, the UK Government High Level Climate Action Champion for UN climate talks, COP26, expressed great joy in seeing the significant strides being made in Kenya in sustainable mobility from investment in non-motorized transport infrastructure to collaborative assessment for transition to electric mobility as well as the budding private sector space of electric mobility small and medium size enterprises. It is these wins from grass roots levels in developing countries he said, especially in Africa, that will see to the achieving of the Paris Climate Agreement reduction commitments.

The launch also saw attendance of the Director General of the National Transportation and Safety Authority, the Director General of the National Environmental Management Authority, the Acting Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority as well as representation from Nairobi Metropolitan Services, Kenya Bureau of Standards, development partners, academia, civil society and at least 20 SMEs working on electric mobility in Kenya.