NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has announced a proposed $3 billion investment in Kenya’s green mobility sector, with the government signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Endelevu Enterprise Corporation in partnership with Chinese automotive giant Geely Auto Group.
The partnership is expected to establish an integrated green mobility ecosystem covering electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly, charging infrastructure and related services.
Ruto said the investment would position Kenya as a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles serving both the domestic and wider African market.
Two Assembly Plants Planned
Under the proposed investment, an assembly plant is expected to be established with a capacity to produce 50,000 four-wheel vehicles annually.
A second plant will target the production of 100,000 two-wheelers and light-mobility vehicles each year.
The project also includes plans for 1,000 solar-powered charging hubs and a digital platform capable of managing up to 100,000 green vehicles.
Ruto said the initiative is intended to shift Kenya from importing vehicles and fuel towards developing local manufacturing capacity, creating jobs and retaining more economic value within the country.
Investment Expected To Create Thousands Of Jobs
According to the President, the project is expected to create about 2,000 direct jobs and more than 20,000 indirect employment opportunities through suppliers, logistics companies and service providers.
A further 80,000 opportunities could emerge in fleet management, operations and other services associated with the green mobility ecosystem.
Ruto said the investment would create opportunities for technicians, engineers, boda boda riders and small and medium-sized enterprises involved in the automotive value chain.
“Value must be added here. Skills must be built here. Jobs must be created here,” he said.
Ruto Links EVs To Energy Security
The President said Kenya’s shift towards electric mobility would also help reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
He cited government figures showing that electricity used to charge electric vehicles increased from 2.92 million kilowatt-hours in 2024 to 8.43 million kilowatt-hours in 2025, representing a 188 per cent increase.
Ruto said Kenya’s predominantly renewable electricity generation mix gives the country an opportunity to power electric transport using geothermal, wind, solar and hydropower.
“When we import fuel, we import price shocks. When we generate our own power, we generate our own stability,” he said.
Government Offers Incentives For Electric Vehicles
Ruto said the government had taken several measures to encourage electric mobility investment.
He cited the launch of the National Electric Mobility Policy in February 2026 and his May 22 directive that the first 100,000 electric vehicles imported into Kenya would be duty-free.
The government has also ordered 3,000 electric vehicles for security and administrative officers, according to the President.
He said the measures were intended to provide a predictable environment for manufacturers and encourage companies to establish production facilities in Kenya.
Kenya Targets Regional EV Market
Ruto said the government expected the partnership with Endelevu and Geely to go beyond supplying the Kenyan market.
Vehicles manufactured in Kenya and meeting the East African Community Rules of Origin would be eligible to access the wider regional market, which the President described as having hundreds of millions of potential consumers.
He linked the project to the National Electric Mobility Policy and the National Automotive Bill currently before Parliament.
The government expects the partnership to facilitate technology and skills transfer while creating opportunities for Kenyan SMEs to participate in the automotive supply chain.
Ruto Orders Fast-Track Facilitation
The President directed the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, through Invest Kenya, to provide end-to-end support to Endelevu.
He said the ministry would coordinate with national and county government institutions to facilitate approvals, land and infrastructure within defined timelines.
Ruto cautioned that signing the MoU was only the beginning, saying the government would expect the partnership to move from agreements to groundbreaking and eventually production.
“Endelevu will be measured by what it builds. Government will be measured by how fast it clears the way,” he said.
Geely Automobile, which Ruto described as a Fortune Global 500 company headquartered in China, has entered into a strategic partnership with Endelevu Enterprise Corp Mobility to develop the proposed green mobility ecosystem.
The partnership will cover electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly, charging infrastructure and related value-chain services.
Ruto said Kenya was positioning itself to manufacture electric vehicles for both Kenya and the wider African market, as the country seeks to expand local industrial production and clean-energy use in transport.
