KENYA BOOSTS GREEN REVOLUTION WITH SPIRO ELECTRIC MOTORBIKES

KENYA BOOSTS GREEN REVOLUTION WITH
SPIRO ELECTRIC MOTORBIKES

By Donald Kogai

President Ruto celebrates, landmark

agreement with electric motorbike

leader Spiro to deploy over a million

Electric Bodas and advance clean energy

infrastructure.

As the Government of Kenya welcomed a

ground-breaking partnership with Spiro,

Africa’s leading electric motorbike

manufacturer and clean energy provider.

This monumental agreement witnessed by

President Wllliam Ruto in Mombasa

will see Spiro deploying over one

million electric bodas throughout

Kenya, highlighting the nation’s

unwavering commitment to renewable

energy and sustainable transportation.

Since its inception just over a year

ago, Spiro has rapidly penetrated the

African e-mobility market. With a

presence in countries like Benin, Togo,

Rwanda, and Uganda, the company has

successfully introduced nearly 10,000

electric bikes. These EVs have

cumulatively provided over 90 million

km of eco-friendly travel, preventing

over 5,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Spiro’s vision goes beyond just

transportation. With around 350 battery

swapping and charging stations

established across Africa, Spiro has

pioneered the infrastructure for

renewable energy in transportation. As

a part of this fresh agreement with

Kenya, Spiro is set to introduce an

additional 3,000 battery charging and

swapping stations, significantly

enhancing the nation’s EV

infrastructure.

Jules Samain, CEO of Spiro, expressed,

“Spiro is privileged to spearhead

Kenya’s transformative shift towards

environmental conservation. Our mutual

vision of tackling the climate crisis,

promoting public health, and enhancing

the profitability of Boda Bodas propels

this collaboration. Given the

escalating fuel prices, the shift to

EVs is both an environmental and

economic necessity. Spiro’s electric

bikes have already showcased their

profitability for Boda Bodas,

amplifying daily earnings

substantially”.

Kenya’s dedication to green technology

shines through this initiative.

Transitioning from traditional internal

combustion engine bikes to electric

variants offers myriad benefits,

especially pertinent for the “last

mile” of travel. This change is poised

to curtail greenhouse gas emissions and

provide a sustainable solution for

Kenya’s transportation challenges.

Jules Samain further elaborated on the

energy autonomy facilitated by Spiro’s

innovative battery technology, “With

our batteries and locally produced

energy in Kenya, we diminish the

dependence on fossil fuels, fast-

tracking Kenya’s journey towards energy

independence”.

The entry of Spiro in Kenya through the

facilitation of the Ministry of

Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI)

underscores the government’s commitment

to the green growth agenda. Speaking

in Mombasa, MITI Cabinet Secretary

Moses Kuria said the Ministry, in

collaboration with Spiro among other

players, has embarked on a mission to

revolutionize the local transportation

landscape through sustainable and

innovative e-mobility solutions.

“Ahead of the Africa Climate Summit

next week, MITI, as the Ministry in

charge of Industrialization that

advocates for clean energy and

environmental stewardship, believes

that the transition to electric bodas

is essential to reducing carbon

emissions, enhancing urban air quality,

and ensuring a greener future for

future generations. We are further

encouraged that Spiro is setting up a

local assembly plant, which will

positively contribute to our commitment

to raise the national manufacturing

contribution to GDP from 7.2 per cent

in 2021 to 15 per cent by 2027,” said

Kuria.

Spiro’s CMO, Dominique Nkurunzizi,

chimed in, “This is a defining moment

in Kenya’s green transition. As an

increasing number of people make the

switch to EVs, we’re not merely

reducing our carbon footprint but also

fostering a healthier, more sustainable

environment for the Kenyan people”. In

a strategic move to boost the local

economy, Spiro has pledged to set up a

manufacturing base in Kenya.

This venture, in conjunction with the

establishment of charging stations and

the recruitment of service staff, is

anticipated to create thousands of

employment opportunities.