Kenyan based e-mobility startup BasiGo has partnered with Rwanda’s AC Mobility to bring electric buses to Rwanda.

The first e-buses are expected to arrive in Rwanda in October 2023 for pilot testing with Kigali transport operators.

BasiGo CEO and co-founder Jit Bhattacharya said the Rwanda's entry creates an enabling ecosystem for e-mobility.

“We are proud to be partnering with AC Mobility, a technology leader in Rwanda’s transport sector, to help accelerate the transition to electrified public transport,” Jit said.

He added that electric buses will cushion bus operators from the rising fuel prices while also reducing air pollution and carbon emissions.

AC Mobility’s CEO Jones Kizihira welcomed the partnership saying it is crucial to boost Rwanda’s net zero emission transition goals.

“The country has recorded rapid transformation, creating a need for a more robust and cost-effective public transport system," Kizihira said.

"The electric buses will help ease the cost burden of public bus transporters and advance Rwanda’s transition to clean mobility.”

Since its inception in 2021, BasiGo has led the introduction of electric buses in Nairobi’s public transport fleet, selling 19 electric buses to public transport operators in Nairobi.

These include Embassava, Super Metro and City Hoppa passenger service vehicle transport saccos.

It has further secured reservations for over 100 additional buses with plans to supply over 1,000 locally manufactured mass transit electric buses to transport operators in the country over the next three years.

This is against the average 938 matatus that are registered in the country per year, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2023 Economic Survey.

The partnership between BasiGo and AC Mobility will make electric buses accessible to Rwandan bus operating companies through BasiGo’s Pay-As-You-Drive financing model.

It aims to deliver 200 electric buses to bus operators in Rwanda by the end of 2024.