On the heels of Kenya’s E-Mobility Policy Driving Force innovations.

The National Electric Mobility Policy, sets a framework to accelerate the transition to electric transport, reduce reliance on imported petroleum, strengthen energy security and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The policy came through a demand driven initiative that has helped the government to think the future of e-mobility.

Kenya's e-mobility sector is gaining traction with several innovations and financing models worth noting:

1. Electric Vehicle Assembly: Companies like Rideence Africa and BasiGo are assembling electric vans and buses locally using Chinese made kits. This approach reduces costs and makes EVs more affordable. There is demand for local manufacturing to accelerate job creation.

2. E-Motorcycles: Startups like Roam and Kiri Electric are popularizing electric motorcycles, with features like battery swapping and affordable pricing. Kiri Electric's motorcycles have a range of 70-80 km and cost around Ksh 185,000 without the battery. There is need to explore local manufacturing to accelerate growth.

3. Battery Swapping: Ecobodaa's battery swapping technology allows riders to swap batteries in minutes, reducing downtime and costs. Penetration to the peri-urban and rural areas will be a revolution that will ease transportation.

Companies like Rideence and BasiGo offer innovative financing options, such as pay-as-you-drive and lease-to-own models, making EVs more accessible to operators. Local banks are still struggling to offer competitive financing options.

Private sector players and consumers at large point to Government Incentives as a right to accelerate growth. The Kenyan government has introduced policies like zero-rating VAT on electric buses and motorcycles, and reducing excise duty on lithium-ion batteries, to encourage EV adoption, yet these incentives are seasonal dictated by annual fiscal policy making predictability a challenge as an incentive for investment.

On the other side of accelerated growth is the Charging Infrastructure: Companies like ChargeNet Kenya and Dowgate Properties are investing in charging stations, with plans to expand across the country. The energy regulatory authority and Kenya Power and Lighting Company can do more to ensure stability and predictability.

Partnerships across board are the engine that will power the e-mobility revolution. Collaborations between local and international companies, like Siemens Stiftung and GIZ, are driving innovation and growth in Kenya's e-mobility sector.

These developments are expected to drive growth for Kenya's e-mobility. The government has fallen short of the target of 5% of annual EVs by 2025. There are approximately 24,754 EVs registered according to NTSA figures released in February 2026 representing a 0.2% to 1.62% of the target. The majority of these registrations are electric motorcycles (roughly 90%), with a smaller, growing share of electric tuk-tuks, cars, and buses.

Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship Impact Report Launch

 I was honoured to join other notable Kenyans, Leaders, Commissioners of the Public Service Commission, Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellows in a colourful
launch of the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship (PSELF) Impact Report which was graced by Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of the Republic of Liberia.

The PSELF Impact Report, christened “The Leadership Dividend: Impact from the Ground Up” traces the early gains of value-based leadership in Kenya’s public service underpinned by mentorship.

The data from first cohort of 51 fellows across 46 Counties and 26 State Departments is staggering:

- 297% ROI.
- Case processing times cut by 42% (Correctional Services).
- Education paperwork reduced by 57%.
- 62 new cross-ministerial collaborations.

Before the fellowship, only 16% of these young officers planned on a lifelong career in public service compared to the current 57% who now desire to expand in public service.

One fellow was promoted to Head of Talent Management just two months after finishing merited because of proven leadership.

The Public Service Commission - Kenya, Emerging Public Leaders (co-founded by H.E Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), and Emerging Leaders Foundation-Africa (ELF-Africa) built a model that works.

Africa does not lack leaders; Africa is lacking in servant and value-based leaders. There is need to intentionally as a matter of policy, invest in mentorship, deliberately have shadowing programs at all levels of Government to ensure that we are building a futuristic public service that captures not only the aspirations and dreams of the next generation of leaders but that which truly serves its citizens guided by a strong principles of values to the people and country.

Shaping a prosperous common future is our collective responsibility

19 years ago on Feb. 10, 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president on a bitterly cold day in Springfield Illinois. That’s a past that became a future that continues to inspire generations.

In his 2007 speech, President Obama called on each generation to rise up and answer the call to create change.

President Obama called on us to believe in hope in the face of despair, to stand together in the face of politics that try to divide us, and to find ways to disagree without being disagreeable.

While Obama’s message may not resonate well to those who feel opposed to him, it reverberates to us to reflect on the type of political bickering that goes on in our backyards.

That the politics of ethnic balkanization, the politics of hate, the politics of cartels hell bent in getting their turn to squander public resources, the politics of the most corrupt among us being given a chance to lead, the politics of spite for those on the opposing side, the politics that kill those that want accountability, that politics of killing the young generation will finally lead us to a very dangerous future.

We must all agree that we have individual responsibility to shape prosperity for our country and continent. That prosperity must start with visionary and servant leadership for us all to move into the future where there is dignity for all.

The Trump Administration is ending Aid that it says saves Lives

The withdrawal of USAID and other NGOs from the health sector in Africa has had significant and far-reaching effects.

Many health facilities have shut down or reduced services, affecting HIV treatment, maternal and child health, and pharmaceutical supply chains. In Kenya, access to HIV treatment, maternal medicine, and contraceptives has plunged in some counties.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this could lead to disease outbreaks and growing hunger.

The economic impact is severe, with aid cuts potentially reducing Gross National Income (GNI) by over 1% in 23 African economies. Eight nations face losses of 3% or more.

Millions face food insecurity, and food aid services have closed, exacerbating hunger. In South Sudan, mothers and children have died after losing access to life-saving HIV medication.

Many NGOs have reduced staff or ceased activities, decreasing services to beneficiaries. In Cameroon, NGOs saw a 40-70% decrease in external funding, affecting food aid, healthcare, and education.

The focus on sustainable financing is critical with co-funding models in complimentary efforts between NGOs and Governments to sustain essential initiatives. It is important for African governments to increase domestic health funding and reclaim public health management from NGOs. There is need for zero tolerance to corruption with the wasted resources being channeled to the most important development initiatives on which human survival depends.

Governments in Africa have capacity to sustain themselves away from dependency on donors and unsustainable loans from Breton wood institutions.

Rwanda is a good example of maintaining staffing levels and health services through sustained public investment and other African Governments can follow this example.

Please read and share this story in the Atlantic it matters that people know what's happening: 

The Trump Administration is Ending Aid that it says saves Lives

The First Saturdays "A Civic Engagement Space in Reshaping Kenya's political and policy focus

Thank you very much brother Alex for these kind words and a reflection of the conversations that help us to reimagine our lives in a country at crossroads. You have been a mentor and an inspiration in producing convenings and moderating conversations that matter. Because we all face a very uncommon future, we can only courageously face it if we exchange ideas through conversations that speak to the very tenets that the future holds. We owe it to our future generations. The time is now. I couldn’t think of a better way for public participation than to talk about the story of us and now moving forward. We must reimagine our lives one conversation at a time.

My friend Alexander Crawford captured the story here

Climate Action is too important to be left to a few. Here is your chance and some tools for your business

Over the last coule of years, the discourse on climate change has permeated more spaces with policy makers, activitsts and scientists taking center stage to decipher climate change and its impact on humanity. There are equally some disjointed concerted efforts being undertaken by a few committed people,groups and organizations. More is needed. More people need to join the climate actions if we have to save our globe from further warming. Responsibility must be top priority of the top poluters in the west.

The climate crisis is urgent, and no country can solve this challenge alone. Climate change affects our lives in many ways, including our economies and livelihoods, health, infrastructure and ecosystems. 

Despite the many challenges related to the climate crisis, there are an increasing number of running climate sustainable businesses. And there exists opportunities for consumers to support economies that matter to their communities. There is a role for everyone in matters climate actions.

Do not wait untill it is too late because your life, our lives are changing due to the devastating effects of climate change accross the world.

I will be sharing tips on what you can do as an individual, as a business and as a community to address climate change, but at the same time address your livelihoods. Climate change is as a livelihoods problem as any other challenges you may be facing only that our common future depends on it.

Today I would like to share some of the work that YALI is doing hoping that you can join this great network to take climate action to the next level.

Please find hereuder:

How consumers can support Climate Friendly Business

How business owners can adopt climate friendly practices

Climate risk assesment for entrepreneurs

Building your green business workbook

Integrating a food systems lens into urban climate resilience initiatives

I am honoured to be speaking today at COP 27 on Integrating a food systems lens into urban climate resilience initiatives

LGMA Pavilion – 12 November 2022, 15:00-16:30

Event hosts
ICLEI Africa, in partnership with FAO

Event description
The African urban population is expected to increase by 60% by 2030. There is currently misalignment of local and national policies that govern food security and climate adaptation, and a lack of surety about subnational governments’ role in supporting these agendas.

Most of the global strategies on climate adaptation and mitigation in cities focus on how to make clean energy and clean transportation the new norm. Whilst, efforts towards risk-sensitive sustainable food systems planning are still overlooked. Nevertheless, cities account for 70 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions of which food is among the top five largest contributors.

Rising food insecurity is especially relevant in this regard, with decreasing access to nutritious foods, resulting from price fluctuations and climate change induced supply disruptions. The interdependencies of food and climate, call for strategies that link food systems and urban resilience.

Developing coherent strategies for achieving food security and climate resilience for Africa’s growing populations has become a matter of urgency, particularly in light of the cascading impacts of climate change. Food systems have the potential to spearhead climate adaptation and mitigation while driving inclusive economic development. Achieving this potential, however, requires the combined efforts of multiple actors across multiple levels to develop local solutions to local problems.

The session will explore how food security priorities can be situated across multiple local plans and strategies and argues that there is a clear mandate for local governments to improve food and climate resilience as interdependent phenomena.

Speakers
1. Paul Currie; Associate Director: Urban Systems; ICLEI Africa - MODERATOR
2. Mr Divine Njie, Deputy Director of the Food Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO
3. Kobie Brand, Regional Director, ICLEI Africa
4. Mxolisi Kaunda, Executive Mayor, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
5. Ndiagne Diop, Maire, Commune de Bambilor
6. Souad Ben Abderrahim, Maire, Commune de Tunis
7. Manuel de Araújo, Mayor, Quelimane
8. Emmanuel Dennis, Senior Manager Policy and Partnerships at Evdence Action and Founder – Green Teams Initiative
9. Dana Omran; Regional Coordinator: Africa; Resilient Cities Network