Kenya will require $47.26 million (about SKsh 6.12 billion) to set up 10,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country.
According to a new policy document from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the rollout will take place in three phases. It will start with 17 towns located along the Mombasa–Busia highway corridor. The first phase alone will cost $9.16 million (Ksh 1.18 billion).
The second stage of the project will cost $13.9 million (Ksh 1.8 billion) and extend to 23 more towns and roads linked to the initial corridor. The final and most expensive phase will target county headquarters and satellite towns not covered in the earlier stages. This phase will cost around $24.2 million (Ksh 3.13 billion).
The plan is detailed in the National Energy Compact 2025–2030 and submitted to the African Development Bank (AfDB). This plan will be funded entirely by the government. The AfDB is already a major partner in Kenya’s power generation and transmission projects.
Key Bottleneck
The lack of charging stations outside Nairobi has long been a hurdle for EV adoption. As of December 2024, Kenya had 5,294 registered EVs. This represents a 41 per cent jump from the 3,753 recorded a year earlier.
Earlier this year, Kenya Power announced plans to install 45 EV charging stations across the country. In 2022, the energy regulator introduced rules requiring charging stations every 25 kilometres along major highways.
Some of the towns earmarked for the first phase include Voi, Emali, Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret and Kisumu. Phase two will bring charging stations to Malindi, Machakos, Narok, Kisii, Garissa and Nanyuki, among others.
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