Transitioning to electric mobility: stakeholder insights on benefits and barriers for the motorcycle taxi sector in Kenya

Electric vehicles are starting to enter the market in Kenya in the context of micro-mobility and could be an effective solution for decarbonising the growing motorcycle taxi sector and reducing its wider transport and environmental impacts. As the policy development in Kenya is in its early stages, this paper explores policy gaps supporting the transition to electric mobility in the motorcycle taxi sector. From stakeholders’ focus groups and workshops, socio-economic and environmental benefits and barriers have been identified. Main benefits comprise operational cost savings, operators’ well-being and tackling air pollution, while barriers include upfront costs of both operators and start-ups, awareness among operators, charging infrastructure, battery standards and e-waste processes. The paper provides a set of policy recommendations, stressing the need for inclusive processes that consider motorcycle taxi operators as major stakeholders of policy development and mechanisms to understand how this transition accommodates the sector’s needs over time.