The Mombasa government has signed an agreement with Green Energy Consortium to introduce electric tuk-tuks to reduce the county’s carbon footprint in the fight against climate change.
The MoU signed at the governor’s office has a component of retrofitting the diesel and petrol powered tuk-tuks and boda bodas.
“As a county, we are supporting this through the development of the necessary policies needed for the smooth running of the new e-tuk tuks,” Emily Achieng said.
She is the county executive in charge of water, natural resources, climate change and public works.
The county will also provide land for the establishment of charging and swapping stations.
“We also want to give incentives to the industry which could be in form of reduction of the fee that an electric tuk-tuk or bike needs to pay,” the county executive said.
There is also the possibility that the county will subsidise charging or swapping charges for e-tuk-tuk and e-bike batteries.
“We will discuss that as time goes by,” Achieng said.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said the MoU gives an assurance that the county will support use of green energy instead of fossil fuels.
“We will also have one of our TVETs to be used as a training centre for the electric tuk-tuks mechanics,” Nassir said.
Achieng said the up-skilling of youth to get more into the green sector will be part of the incentives as the county mulls over sponsoring a few young men for e-tuk-tuk repair courses.
Operators who have used both fuel-powered and electric tuk-tuks said the newly introduced e-Beba electric tuk-tuks from Solar Tyme USA, part of the Green Energy Consortium, say the e-tuk-tuks are more cost efficient.
“For a Sh200 token, I can use the e-tuk-tuk for six hours and this will give me a single day’s work. For fuel, I use between Sh800 and Sh1,000 on fuel per day, which will give me between Sh1,500 and Sh1,700,” operator Simon Bukaba said.
County executive Achieng encouraged tuk-tuk and boda boda operators to the transition to e-tuk-tuks and e-bikes.
She said the transport sector is among the three main contributors to carbon emissions, the others being the environment and industries.
“As a county we have taken a big role in ensuring that we green our transport sector. We are transiting to electric mobility and we have started with the two-wheelers and the three-wheelers,” Achieng said.
Mombasa has about 10,000 tuk-tuks and over a million boda bodas.
This will not only reduce Mombasa’s carbon footprint but also boost economic empowerment of youth by providing employment.
The intention of the county is to have a battery swapping station at every main boda boda stage.
“Together with the partners, we are also discussing the possibility having a battery factory in Mombasa. This will be an added advantage to the MoU we have signed,” Achieng said.
Solar Tyme USA managing partner Jonnell Carol Minefee said the Mombasa government has shown commitment to energy transition.
She said hydrocarbons are extremely expensive and harmful to both the health of human beings and the environment.
“We’re trying to find ways to reduce the need for hydrocarbons like oil, gas and diesel from the market, and to reduce the carbon dioxide that is being put out into our most beautiful planet,” Minefee said.
She said the high cost of hydrocarbons puts pressure on people unnecessarily.
“So, once there is a reduced cost it means more money in the pocket,” Minefee said.
Solar Tyme is also talking to Kilifi and other counties for the introduction of e-Beba tuk-tuks and other solar projects.
Ali Jewad Molu, the director of Solutions Africa Limited, which produces the e-Beba tuk-tuks, said the six-seater three-wheelers have 100km of range with charging time of about six to seven hours.
“Our goal is to make Mombasa greener and more environmentally friendly,” Molu said.
