Kenya has officially launched the Safiri Electric Program, a national initiative under the Kenya Two and Three-Wheeler Electric Mobility Project, aimed at speeding up the country’s transition to electric transport.
The program aims to reduce pollution, decrease fuel imports, and foster green jobs by converting Kenya’s popular two- and three-wheelers from internal combustion engines to electric power.
According to World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa Deputy Director Rebekah Shirley, the initiative will play a key role in improving access to financing for both suppliers and end users.
“We are working with partners, including the Africa Guarantee Fund and others, to look at guarantee mechanisms and credit enhancement mechanisms that make it easier for both sides of that equation to access the finance that they need,” she said.
Shirley noted that the goal is to increase Kenya’s e-mobility penetration, which currently stands at 5% to 15% within three years, with the project supported through the Mitigation Action Facility, a multi-donor funding platform.
“Our focus is to transition the electric mobility sector, especially in the two- and three-wheeler market, from an early-stage readiness level to a more advanced, mature market,” she added.
The program comes at a time when Kenya’s electric mobility is reporting significant growth.
Last month, Kenya’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum announced an ambitious plan to install 10,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, backed by an investment of $47.26 million (Sh6.12 billion). The project aims to address one of the significant barriers to EV adoption in Kenya: the scarcity of charging infrastructure outside the capital, Nairobi.
While the number of registered EVs in Kenya has surged from 2,694 in 2023 to more than 9,000 in 2025, most charging stations remain concentrated in Nairobi. This has left drivers in towns like Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, and other regions struggling with limited access, creating what industry observers describe as “range anxiety.”
The Ministry’s plan is designed to decentralise the charging network and ensure EV users can travel confidently across the country.
The project will be implemented in phases, targeting major highways, regional hubs, and county headquarters. Early deployments will focus on transport corridors linking cities such as Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Kisumu, before expanding into smaller towns and rural areas. Six chargers are already earmarked for installation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, underscoring the government’s strategy to place chargers in high-traffic areas that serve both domestic commuters and international travellers.
The Electrifying Kenya’s Two and Three-Wheelers Initiative, on the other hand is is a five-year national program that aims to deploy 68,000 electric vehicles (EVs) across Kilifi, Kiambu, and Kajiado counties.
It supports Kenya’s commitment to a 32% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, with expected outcomes including the avoidance of one million tonnes of CO₂ emissions over ten years, the creation of 68,000 direct green jobs, and the strengthening of local EV assembly and manufacturing capacity.
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