Players in the transport industry will Tuesday converge in Nairobi for a two-day conference to develop an e-mobility roadmap for the country.
More than 300 participants from the energy, finance and transport sectors, county governments, development partners and the private sector will attend.
The meeting organised by Kenya Power and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) will take place at Safari Park Hotel on February 7 and 8.
The meeting seeks to develop a framework to support a coordinated approach towards the implementation of electric motorisation.
“We are looking forward to meeting and sharing knowledge and experiences on e-mobility with the various stakeholders in this industry," Kenya Power acting managing director Geoffrey Muli said.
"The conference will offer an opportunity to map out the entire e-mobility value chain to drive investments and attract the participation of potential stakeholders to increase the uptake of electric vehicles.”
Muli said the company is providing a critical service to drive the social and economic growth of the nation.
"We are at the centre of electric motorisation and we are well-positioned to ensure we provide adequate and reliable electricity supply to spur the growth of this nascent industry," he said.
Energy and Petroleum CS Davis Chirchir, Roads and Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru are among the leaders expected to attend.
Participants will assess the charging infrastructure and technologies available in Kenya and beyond.
They will also explore ways to improve the existing charging infrastructure, review policies and regulations supporting the development of the charging system.
Electric vehicles are gaining traction globally as one of the many initiatives that global and policy leaders are adopting to redress the damage caused by human activity on the environment.
There are an estimated 3.1 million passenger electric vehicles on the road globally, with China accounting for 1.48 million.
In Kenya, it is estimated that there are at least 1,000 electric-powered vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers.
Demand is expected to accelerate in the coming years as car manufacturers increasingly roll out electricity-powered vehicles.
Kenya Power has announced plans to phase out fossil fuel-powered vehicles and motorbikes from its fleet, in favour of electric-powered ones.
The company has set aside Sh40 million this financial year to buy three electric vehicles and construct three electric vehicle-charging stations within Nairobi for the company’s use and demonstration purposes.
In 2021, experts in the transport sector said Kenya was ready to transition to electric vehicles to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Kenya has developed laws such as the Climate Change Act of 2016 and the Energy Act of 2019 to help her transition to clean energy.
The National Climate Change Action Plan 2018-22, is a five-year plan that helps Kenya adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Kenya seeks to reduce emissions by 32 per cent by 2030.
Agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transport, waste and forestry are some of the sectors the government intends to use to curb emissions.
The country needs $62 billion (Sh6.710 trillion) to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change between 2020 and 2030.
Kenya’s greenhouse gas emissions are set to increase by 53 per cent, from the 2015 levels of 93.7 MtCO2e to 143 MtCO2e by 2030.
The transport sector is also set to increase its greenhouse gas emissions by 52 per cent from 2015 levels of 16.9 MtCO2e to 25.7 MtCO2e by 2030.
The 2030 projections showed that fossil fuels would be a leading contributor to emissions due to the increased demand from various sectors, including the transport sector.
Road, rail and aviation subsectors were responsible for 12.09 MtCO2e (98%), 0.062 MtCO2e (2%), and 0.188 MtCO2e (1%), respectively in 2019.