Background and Context
The Kenyan government is phasing out more than 13,000 fuel-injected motorcycles from its administrative chiefs and their assistants in a bid to promote mobility, service delivery, and climate action. This will be replaced with electric motorcycles towards a broader goal of efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Pilot Project Launch
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo kick-started the pilot stage of the project on Thursday after flagging off the first batch of 22 electric motorbikes. The motorbikes will first be used by administrators in Kajiado, Kiambu, Machakos and Nairobi counties. The two-wheeler pilot project — set to last one month — will later pave the way for a gradual roll-out countrywide.
Objectives and Benefits
PS Omollo emphasized that this is not just enhancing their mobility but putting them on the vanguard in terms of community-led climate actions. With electric motorcycles or bikes, chiefs and their assistants can robustly mobilize people to support environment-friendly initiatives like planting trees will further cement the government’s promises and resolve to battle climate change.
Key Benefits of the Initiative:
- Better Mobility: The chiefs and their assistants can now easily move around their areas of jurisdiction, especially in the wider regions with vast cases of insecurity, with the help of the electric motorbikes.
- Climate Action: The government’s agenda on climate action is being covered to a large extent, ensuring reduced fossil fuel use and a switch to eco-friendly means of transportation.
- Operational Efficiency: The electric motorbikes will be useful in facilitating transport interaction among the field officers to enhance the services provided at sub-location and location levels.
Capacity building and support
To ensure effective use of the new electric motorcycles, the government will ensure the officers are fully trained in the use and maintenance of these electric motorcycles. PS Omollo said this will be key as the training will bring the officers up to speed to effectively maneuver and service the electric bikes. Refresher training sessions would also be planned as may be deemed necessary periodically.
Future Rollout and Prioritization
After the pilot phase, the project will be rolled out in other locations. The first priority will be the vast counties or those otherwise confronted with high security challenges. This shall be phased so that all NGAOs in Kenya shall have electric motorcycles in order to standardize their operations and improve their capacity to function fully.