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How EVs boom could throw a lifeline to Kenya’s struggling power utility

May 07, 2025

Kenya’s national electricity utility Kenya Power plans to install 45 electric vehicle charging stations in six counties across the country over the next one year. The new network of chargers will make the company one of Kenya’s largest charging station providers. Kenya Power has already installed three chargers in the capital Nairobi, which have attracted high demand.

  • Kenya Power has enjoyed a monopoly in Kenya’s electricity distribution for decades, but its position is being threatened by the loss of customers to solar PV, forcing it to turn to EVs as a revenue driver.

  • The number of EVs in Kenya remains small, with about 5,294 vehicles registered in the country in 2024 but this is projected to grow. Kenya Power plans to sell more electricity through EVs. 

  • Our take: Our take: While the 45 new EV chargers are a step in the right direction, Kenya Power has the capacity to build thousands of charging stations across the country… Read more (2 min)

SGX Mobility, a Nigerian electric mobility company, has partnered with Bolt to introduce electric tricycles in Lagos. The initial rollout will include 25 units, operating in two cities, Uyo and Jos, where Bolt already provides tricycle services. Riders have the option to either purchase the vehicles with instant cash or access them through a lease-to-own scheme.

  • Nigeria—particularly Lagos, with its 8 million daily commuters—presents a significant opportunity for electric three-wheelers. These vehicles have the potential to accelerate e-mobility adoption by serving both passenger transport and last-mile delivery needs.

  • The ambition is commendable for the country’s EV progress. However, a single swapping station will not be sufficient for 25 electric three-wheelers operating across two cities, especially given their popularity and the rapid battery depletion from constant use.

  • Our take: As the second African market Bolt has entered with electric three-wheelers after Tanzania, Kenya should be a strategic priority for expansion... Read more (2 min)

Ghanaian startup Kofa raised $8.2 million funding in April, contributing 70% of the $11.7 million that the continent’s electric mobility firms raised. The month saw Uganda’s Gogo Electric raise $3 million in equity, Cameroonian startups Swyft and Bee also raised $0.1 million each in equity, while South Africa’s Zimi Charge received a $0.3 million grant.  

  • April’s funding pushes the total capital raised by electric mobility startups this year to $56.6 million. Investors pumped $39.2 million into the sector in February following a dry January where no money was raised. This however dropped sharply to just $5.7 million in March.  

  • The funding raised during the four-month period between January and April 2025 is however only a fraction of the $151.6 million raised during the same period last year, according to data from Africa: The Big Deal.   

  • Our take: African governments should do more to attract investors, both local and foreign, to inject capital in local markets... Read more (2 min)

  Marumbo Sichinga, Business Development lead at Kabisa, addressing attendees at an E-mobility event in Nairobi

Events

🗓️ Converge with professionals at Transport Evolution Africa Forum in SA (June 17)

🗓️ Register for the electric mobility conference in Zimbabwe (June 27)

🗓️ Plan early for Africa E-Mobility and Infrastructure Summit in Kenya (Nov 26)

Jobs

⚡️ Join Charge as a Digital Marketing Specialist (South Africa)

👨🏻‍⚖️ Apply for a Legal and Security Specialist position at MAX (Nigeria)

⚙️ Lead Electrive Drivetrain Engineering at Shift EV (Egypt)

Various 

🏍️ Kenya pilots local electric mobility innovations with GIZ

🔋 Kofa seeks locations to host swap stations in Ghana

🚗 BYD officially enters the Benin market

Seen on LinkedIn 

Olivia Lamenya, Climate and Logistics Advisor at Kuehne Climate Centre, says, “The road toward electrifying logistics across Africa hasn’t been easy, but every hurdle has carried lessons in perseverance, innovation, and the value of collective action.”