Uganda has unveiled a national strategy to electrify all public transport by 2030 as part of a broader industrial and sustainability programme aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and reducing emissions.
The plan covers buses and boda-bodas, the motorcycle taxis widely used across the country, and forms part of Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan and National E-Mobility Strategy.
Winstone Katushabe, commissioner for transport regulation and safety at the Ministry of Works and Transport, announced the initiative.
The programme is expected to cost approximately $1.7 billion.
According to Cosmas Twikirize, superintendent of the industrial value chain at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology, Uganda has already secured funding commitments worth around $800 million during initial discussions with development partners.
The strategy aims to increase economic output while reducing pollution and supporting industrial development.
Government projections cited by Ecofin Agency estimate the programme could contribute 12.5% to Uganda’s gross domestic product, create more than 500,000 green jobs and reduce transport-related emissions by over 25% by 2040.
Uganda is linking the transport electrification effort to its wider industrialisation strategy focused on local manufacturing.
A central role in the programme is expected to be played by Kira Motors Corporation, or KMC, a state-owned electric vehicle manufacturer based in Jinja.
The country’s Industrialisation Policy 2020–2040 aims to shift Uganda from an exporter of raw materials toward becoming a regional manufacturing hub.
Twikirize told local media that 37 buses have already been assembled at the KMC facility, including 27 units built locally.
According to the government, KMC currently has annual production capacity for around 10,000 vehicles, including up to 2,500 buses.
Uganda said current local manufacturing content in vehicle production ranges between 20% and 30%, with a target of increasing that figure to 65% by 2030.
The broader industrial policy seeks to raise manufacturing value-added as a share of GDP from 8.3% in 2018/19 to 16% by 2029/30.
The National E-Mobility Strategy also includes plans to deploy 3,500 public charging stations nationwide by 2030, with charging infrastructure spaced roughly every 50 kilometres.
Kampala has ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals according to air quality data from IQAir, adding urgency to efforts aimed at reducing emissions from transport.
Uganda recently announced plans to begin domestic oil production and intends to use part of the resulting revenue to finance industrial development and the energy transition.
Despite the ambitious targets, electric mobility adoption remains at an early stage.
Katushabe said Uganda currently has around 5,000 electric motorcycles in operation, representing less than 1% of the country’s motorcycle fleet.
“The government has made electric mobility a key driver of sustainable development,” Katushabe said.
Source: Ecofinagency
