NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenya’s electric bus manufacturer BasiGo is charging ahead with its green transportation goals, thanks to a fresh injection of Ksh 1.3 billion ($10 million) from the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
This significant investment is set to rev up local assembly of electric buses, marking a major milestone in Kenya’s push toward sustainable urban mobility.
During a recent visit to BasiGo’s dedicated electric bus assembly line at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) plant in Thika, BasiGo CEO and Co-founder Jit Bhattacharya shared some exciting news.
The new funds will allow the company to significantly boost its production capacity, expanding from the current five buses per month to an ambitious target of 20 buses per month. The ultimate goal? Delivering 1,000 electric buses to Kenya within the next three years.
“We are currently producing in partnership with Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers. Our goal is to be raising that to 20 vehicles per month in the coming months, with the overall aim of delivering 1,000 electric buses here in Kenya in the next three years,” Bhattacharya stated.
This expansion is crucial, as BasiGo currently has over 500 reservations from Nairobi matatu operators eager to go green.
But the benefits of this investment extend beyond just production numbers. The funding will also enable BasiGo to create at least 300 green manufacturing jobs, contributing to Kenya’s growing green economy.
As Bhattacharya emphasized, the focus is not just on meeting orders but on driving broader industrial and environmental change.
“Right now, we are very focused on delivering for our Kenyan customers because, as you may have seen, BasiGo currently has over 500 reservations for electric buses from Nairobi matatu operators,” Bhattacharya added.
During the tour of the assembly line, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman highlighted the role of American financing in driving green industrialization across Africa.
She also pointed to the ongoing Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) negotiations between the U.S. and Kenya as a model for future green initiatives across the continent.
“The STIP has been under negotiation for two years, and the two parties target to conclude it by the end of this year. EVs are one of the categories that are covered there, and everyone is delighted with EV manufacturing in Kenya. The idea of STIP is that it can be a model for other countries,” Whitman remarked.
BasiGo’s ambitions also extend beyond Kenya’s borders.
The company plans to leverage its new assembly line to expand its innovative Pay-As-You-Drive model in Nairobi, offering operators continuous access to charging infrastructure.
The broader vision includes regional projects across Africa, as noted by DFC’s Regional Managing Director for Africa, Vibhuti Jain, who revealed that BasiGo is also operating in Rwanda, with further expansions on the horizon.
