Uganda’s ambitions to position itself as a regional e-mobility powerhouse will make further progress tomorrow when Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) sends its flagship Kayoola electric coach on an audacious 13 000km trans-Africa expedition to Cape Town.
Kayoola’s 30-day journey across six African countries will see it travel from Uganda, traversing Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini before arriving at its final destination in South Africa on December 20.
Launched at a ceremony in Kampala, the expedition is part of a broader national push to commercialise Uganda’s innovation ecosystem and African-built EV technology.
KMC, a state-owned automotive manufacturer, has steadily built its reputation over the past decade with its range of electric and low-emission vehicles, including the Kayoola EV buses that already serve airport transfers, city routes, and special-purpose needs in the East African country.
Paul Isaac Musasizi, CEO, KMC, said the company has also established technical partnerships across Africa as it eyes new markets for assembly, distribution and charging infrastructure.
“This journey is an electric trans-African exhibition of technology and innovation. We are taking ‘Made in Uganda’ to Africa, demonstrating engineering excellence and the readiness of African-built EVs to compete globally,” he said.
By successfully completing a trans-Africa EV journey, KMC aims to build private-sector confidence in its technology, attract regional buyers, and reinforce government efforts to position the country as a manufacturing, research and deployment hub for electric mobility.
At 13 metres long and capable of seating 62 passengers, the Kayoola e-coach will carry 42 engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs and support staff. Their mission will be to activate new markets, secure orders for at least 1,000 buses and open Southern Africa to a portfolio of Ugandan tech solutions.
Uganda’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, MTN Uganda and other private-sector partners are backing the trans-Africa expedition.
MTN Uganda, as the expedition’s lead sponsor, will provide both financial support and connectivity for the 30-day trek.
Ibrahim Senyonga, GM, MTN Uganda’s enterprise business unit, said the telco has equipped the team with e-SIMs, webphones, MoMo virtual cards and connectivity to ensure communication with mission control across all six countries.
“MTN’s connectivity solutions will serve as the primary conduit for enhanced crew security, enabling precise tracking and immediate emergency communication,” he said.
The trip will also feature real-time storytelling, from live location feeds and interactive maps to performance analytics, allowing Africans across the continent to follow the journey in detail.
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