Kenya can save foreign exchange by adapting to e-mobility: UNEP

Kenya can save foreign exchange by adapting to e-mobility: UNEP
An electric bus is seen in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on Oct. 19, 2022. (Photo by Charles Onyango/Xinhua)

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said Tuesday that Kenya will generate enormous foreign exchange savings by adapting to e-mobility.

David Wamwayi, consultant of Electric Mobility at the Sustainable Mobility Unit of Industry and Economy Division at the UNEP, said in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, that the East African nation currently incurs a huge import bill due to the purchase of fossil fuels to power its transportation sector.

“There is a business case for Kenya to switch to electric vehicles that rely on power generated from the country’s abundant renewable energy sources,” Wamwayi said during the national e-mobility conference which brought together more than 300 participants from the private and public sectors to develop a roadmap for electric motorization in the country.

Wamwayi observed that the bulk of Kenya’s electricity is generated from green energy sources such as geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar sources.

He added that the adaptation of e-mobility will also benefit consumers as electric vehicles have lower operational expenses as compared to fossil fuel cars.

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