Kenya’s oldest bus operator, the Kenya Bus Service Management Ltd (KBS), has acquired its first Electric Bus as part of a strategic initiative to modernize its fleet.
The bus company that has been operating since 1928, acquired a 36-seaterElectric Bus that was built at Kenya’s first dedicated, high-volume assembly line that is operated by BasiGo and located at the Kenya Vehicle Assembly plant in Thika. The new KBS Electric Bus will ply the CBD – Kibera, CBD – KNH, and CBD – Utawala routes. “We are excited to partner with BasiGo, Africa’s leading electric bus company to help us upgrade our fleet,” said Edwins Mukabanah, KBS Managing Director when he flagged off the new bus at Kencom. KBS has ordered an additional 25 E-Buses that will be delivered in coming months. “We also want to be the leader in electric charging infrastructure, ensuring all Electric Vehicles coming into Nairobi are charged at the KBS depot,” added Mukabanah.
Samuel Kamunya, BasiGo Head of Business Development said BasiGo is working with PSV Operators to introduce technologies that will make public transport in Kenya cleaner, greener, and more convenient for everyone. “We welcome KBS to the e-mobility fraternity as we address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each Electric Bus we deploy on our roads mitigates 50 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, cutting down on air pollution and contributing towards a greener Nairobi. Our target is to deliver 100 locally assembled Electric Buses to Kenyan operators by 2024,” said Kamunya.
KBS and BasiGo share a similar model of operators, from their driver training, routes simulation, service depots to a centralized operations center. As of July 2024, BasiGo’s electric buses have driven over 2 million kilometers and carried over 3 million passengers since launching in Kenya in March 2022. BasiGo has over 500 orders from bus operators in Nairobi and plans to supply over 1,000 locally manufactured mass transit electric buses to PSV operators in Kenya over the next three years, creating over 300 green manufacturing jobs.