In an effort to spur the expansion of the regional e-mobility industry, Kenya Power intends to build 45 EV chargers in Nairobi and six other counties over the course of the next six years.
Six chargers will be positioned thoughtfully throughout the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), with more chargers to be installed in the counties of Nyeri, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta.
The stations are meant for the company’s electric fleet as well as the expanding number of private electric vehicle (EV) customers nationwide, according to Kenya Power Managing Director Dr. (Eng) Joseph Siror, who made the announcement during the meeting.
“These fast-charging EV chargers are made to accommodate our fleet as well as the increasing number of individual EV users. In order to make e-mobility accessible and affordable, we are investing in domestic production,” he stated.
In order to lessen dependency on imports and lower the overall cost of switching to electric vehicles, he continued, Kenya Power is also looking into options to move battery production closer to home.
“We are looking into setting up battery assembly plants in collaboration with Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institutes. He said that local EV battery manufacturing will lower costs, provide employment, and establish Kenya as an African center for e-mobility.
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) reports that at the end of 2024, there were 5,294 EVs in Kenya, up 41.06 percent from 3,753 in 2023.
“Government initiatives like the implementation of a special electric mobility tariff, the lowering of the excise duty on electric vehicles from 20% to 10%, the exemption of fully electric cars from value-added tax, and the development of charging infrastructure are all responsible for this growth,” said the EPRA.
