Written By: Faith Jemosop
Electric cars are having their moment again. This time, the headlines are not just from Silicon Valley or Shanghai. Kenya is starting to hum with the buzz of electric mobility. Nairobi has seen electric buses roll out. A few start-ups are pushing battery swaps for boda bodas. And now, Kenya Power is leading the charge, quite literally.
But step back for a moment. Strip away the hopeful press releases and global climate targets. The real question is this: what does Kenya’s electric future actually look like, and who is it really for?
Let’s begin with the most inconvenient truth. Kenya has the highest electricity prices in East Africa. As of 2024, households in Kenya pay an average of KSh 25 to KSh 30 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). A middle-income home using around 150 kWh per month pays upwards of KSh 3750, before even turning on a single electric car charger.
Compare this to Tanzania, where households pay around KSh 14 per kWh, or Uganda at roughly KSh 15. In this context, charging an electric vehicle is not just a matter of convenience. It’s a matter of cost. A typical EV like the Nissan Leaf has a 40 kWh battery. That’s KSh 1,200 per full charge in Kenya if you charge it at home. Public charging stations could be more expensive.
Now ask yourself: If an electric car costs nearly the same to “fuel” as a small petrol vehicle but with more limitations, where is the real incentive for ordinary Kenyans?
Kenya Power is pushing hard on this electric dream. They’ve announced plans to build public EV charging stations and transition their own fleet to electric. The company argues that Kenya’s energy mix, largely renewable, makes EVs a sustainable choice. That may be true. But there’s a harder economic motive hiding beneath the environmental narrative.
Kenya Power is bleeding. The utility has struggled with ballooning debts, shrinking revenues, and public dissatisfaction over high electricity bills and blackouts. In a country where over 70% of household electricity is used just for lighting and basic appliances, electric vehicles offer something different: a new high-volume consumer.
Also read: Bolt Launches Electric Tricycles in Lagos as a Bold Step for Sustainable Urban Mobility
If EVs go mainstream, Kenya Power stands to benefit. Not from climate wins but from a reliable, predictable spike in electricity demand. In other words, EVs could help bail out a struggling monopoly.
What EVs Demand, Kenya Doesn’t Yet Supply
To make EVs a true alternative for the masses, Kenya needs much more than just a few public chargers and flashy pilot programs.
- Wider Charging Infrastructure: As of early 2025, Kenya has fewer than 200 public EV charging stations. Compare that to South Africa’s 400+ and over 160,000 in the US.
- Grid Stability: Kenya still experiences regular power outages. Charging an EV is not like plugging in a phone, it requires sustained, high-load power delivery. Frequent outages and voltage drops risk damaging EV batteries.
- Cost of EVs: Most electric vehicles are still out of reach for average Kenyans. A used Nissan Leaf costs between KSh 1.2M and KSh 1.5M. A new EV can go up to KSh 4M. Even with government incentives (which remain unclear or limited), this is still far beyond the reach of most households.
- Import Dependency: Kenya does not manufacture EVs. Every unit must be imported. That means global price shocks, forex pressure, and a reliance on second-hand markets.
Penetration and Projections
As of 2024, EVs make up less than 1.8% of all registered vehicles in Kenya. In contrast. With current growth rates and infrastructure investments, it could take Kenya 10 to 15 years just to reach a 5% penetration rate assuming policy consistency and funding.
Who Really Benefits?
So let’s go back to the question that matters.
Who stands to gain from this shift?
- The average Kenyan commuter? Unlikely. EVs remain unaffordable, and infrastructure is barely functional.
- The environment? Partially. Kenya’s power grid is already 70–80% renewable, but the production and disposal of EV batteries carry their own carbon footprint.
- Kenya Power? Absolutely. More EVs mean more demand, more units sold, and potentially more financial breathing room.
This is not to say that EVs are a bad idea. They are, long-term, part of a cleaner transport solution. But the framing matters. If this transition is led by a profit-hungry utility rather than policy designed to serve citizens, it risks becoming yet another elite project.
Also read: Kenya Power Leads the Charge Toward an Electric Vehicle Revolution
A handful of electric buses on Nairobi’s roads, a few Teslas in Kilimani, and a charger or two in Naivasha do not make an EV revolution.
Real transformation needs:
- Affordable EV models
- Subsidies for public transport operators
- Stable power grids
- Transparent regulation
- And most of all benefits that reach beyond boardrooms
Until then, electric vehicles in Kenya remain a vision. One that looks good in headlines. One that Kenya Power may profit from. But not necessarily one that will change how the majority of Kenyans move.
