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Paper short abstract:

Electric vehicles are starting to enter the market in Kenya in the context of micro-mobility and can become an effective solution to decarbonising the growing motorcycle taxi sector and reducing its wider socio-economic and environmental impacts on the Kenyan urban and transport systems.

Paper long abstract:

The use of motorcycles for commercial purposes has been steadily increasing in African cities over the last three decades and Kenya is rapidly catching up in terms of the number of motorcycle vehicles compared to other African Countries. Such an increase in the number of vehicles poses significant questions about the wider impacts that motorcycle taxis will have on the transport system of Kenyan cities, especially in terms of increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions generated. Electric mobility is gaining significant attention as a key technology to reduce air pollution and contribute to decarbonising the transport sector, with consequent environmental, economic and social impacts.

Local actors were involved through a set of focus groups, key informant interviews and a stakeholder engagement workshop to explore benefits, barriers and gaps in policies related to the transition to e-mobility of the sector. Findings indicate that main opportunities and barriers belong to the socio-economic and environmental dimensions, with operational cost savings and tackling air pollution as key elements. Main concerns in gaps in existing policies related to the finance and incentives aspects of reducing the upfront costs of both operators/providers and drivers. Similarly, concerns emerged regarding charging infrastructure, battery standards and battery end-of-life and e-waste processes. Finally, motorcycle taxi organisations and representatives need to be considered major stakeholders of the process and provided with more inclusive platforms to contribute and co-design policies helping the transition to e-mobility in Kenya.