Kenyan start-up BasiGo has unveiled its latest electric bus, a model it hopes will reshape public transport in East Africa.
The 54-seater KL-9, designed by China’s King Long and assembled at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant, promises up to 320 kilometres on a single charge. That is a significant jump from the company’s first model in 2022, which managed 280 kilometres. The new bus can also fully recharge in two hours.
At the launch on Thursday, BasiGo executives stressed the shift was about scale and reliability. “The new bus is much more efficient than its predecessor,” said Moses Nderitu, the company’s managing director in Kenya. “The battery is smaller but offers an improved range, and the design makes it easier and faster to build, helping us scale production.”
The KL-9 is powered by batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the Chinese supplier behind Tesla and Volkswagen’s fleets. The company says the partnership allows it to guarantee a 10-year or one-million-kilometre battery life.
BasiGo currently produces around eight buses a month, with plans to lift that to 20 units monthly by 2026. Since its founding in 2021, the start-up has put 75 buses on Kenyan roads and more than 100 across the region, including Rwanda. It operates under a pay-as-you-drive model that lets bus companies avoid the high upfront costs of electric vehicles.
The company has also started testing smaller 16-seater vans on routes linking Nyahururu to Nairobi, Nyeri, and Nakuru. More than 100 reservations for the vans have already been logged, according to the company.
Funding has flowed steadily. BasiGo says it has raised more than $48 million and is now working with local oil marketers to set up charging points beyond Nairobi. “We are working with OMCs to expand our footprint by opening smaller partner sites where motorists can charge their vehicles, especially outside of Nairobi,” Nderitu said.
Kenya, where matatus and buses dominate daily commuting, has become a key testing ground for electric transport in Africa. BasiGo is betting its partnership with King Long will give it the scale and credibility needed to convince operators that electric fleets are a practical alternative.
About the Author
