BasiGo, Kenya’s leading provider of electric bus solutions, has announced the official opening of a new electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging site at the Shell Athi River service station.
The launch marks a significant expansion of the company’s dedicated charging network, “the E-Mobility Backbone,” designed to power the country’s transition to green public transport. This is BasiGo’s third charging location hosted by Vivo Energy Kenya (Shell), following successful deployments at Shell Waiyaki Way and Shell New Gatitu in Thika.
The Athi River station is strategically positioned to serve the high-traffic Nairobi-Kitengela-Machakos corridor, a route that has seen increasing adoption of electric buses by operators such as Rembo Classic and Enabled Mashariki Sacco.
Designed to minimize downtime for public service vehicle (PSV) operators, the new station can charge four vehicles simultaneously. It features one CCS2 fast charger (two guns) and one GBT charger (two guns), ensuring compatibility with a wide range of electric bus models, including the King Long units assembled locally by BasiGo.
Speaking during the launch, Moses Nderitu, Managing Director of BasiGo Kenya, termed the milestone a critical step in decentralising Kenya’s EV infrastructure.
“Every new charging site is a critical step toward a cleaner, more sustainable transport system for Kenya. Access to reliable charging remains the biggest barrier to the adoption of e-mobility, and partnerships like these are helping us overcome it,” said Nderitu.
He added, “This is our third site with Shell, and it demonstrates that the model works and can scale. What’s especially important is that this station is expanding electric mobility beyond Nairobi’s city limits. Located on a key corridor linking Nairobi to Machakos and the greater Eastern region, it gives operators the confidence to go electric. They can now see the infrastructure taking shape: rapid charging, reliable access, and locations directly along their routes. When operators know they can charge efficiently without disrupting schedules, the shift to electric becomes a straightforward business decision.”
The partnership leverages Vivo Energy Kenya’s extensive retail footprint to integrate green energy solutions into existing transport hubs.
Peter Murungi, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Kenya, commented on the synergy between the two firms: “Every day, we serve millions of Kenyans across our retail network, and today we are expanding that service to support electric mobility. Through partnerships like this, we are optimising our existing sites while supporting the growth of Kenya’s electric mobility ecosystem and creating new business opportunities.”
Murungi noted that the collaboration drives innovation in the local transport sector. “Our extensive station network sits along the routes operators use daily, making this partnership a strong fit. Athi River is our third site with BasiGo, and we see significant potential to scale this infrastructure across our network as electric fleets continue to expand in Kenya,” he said.
The opening comes at a time of rapid growth for BasiGo. The company recently surpassed a milestone of 100 electric buses on Kenyan roads and secured new funding from Proparco to accelerate its “Road to 1000” initiative. By establishing high-speed charging hubs in strategic zones like Athi River, Buruburu, and Kikuyu, BasiGo continues to build the country’s most extensive network of DC fast chargers, supporting a fleet that has already driven over 1.5 million clean kilometers.
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