A Swedish tech startup In Kenya, Roam has started testing electric buses in Nairobi.
The firm will offer commuting services between the city's core and its outskirts for the next 12 months.
To start, Roam has introduced a single bus with a capacity of 77 people.
It will be the first electric-powered bus to run in Nairobi, a city with a population of more than four million.
Within two years, it hopes to add 100 buses, which will be run by a local operator and the Nairobi city government.
The introduction is thought to be a component of Kenya's government's intention to introduce a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system in the nation's capital.
According to Roam, the tendering process is nearly complete, and if it is successful, it will allow them to offer electric buses for the project.
Due to inadequate systemic policies, Kenyan authorities have been unable to entice investors into the $825 million (£733 million) BRT project since 2019.
According to a World Bank assessment, there is limited private-sector motivation to engage in the contemporary transportation paradigm because of uncontrolled competition from unlicensed buses, minibuses, and taxis as well as challenges in finalizing compensation agreements.
Tanzania, a neighbouring country, has been running a BRT system in Dar es Salaam for the past six years; however, none of the 210 buses is electric.
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