The new electric buses from Kiira Motors boast an impressive roadworthiness coverage of 800,000 kilometers, making it the highest in Africa, Ugandan government has revealed.
This facility stands as the largest and most advanced electric motor manufacturing plant on the continent, currently capable of producing 2,500 buses each year.
However, it is operating at only half of its capacity. Once fully developed, the facility is expected to ramp up production to a total of 5,000 buses annually.
These insights were shared by Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Office of the President, during an exclusive interview with this website recently, where she discussed the corporation’s current status.
“We would like to inform the country that Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) plant at Jinja is manufacturing electric buses with a net road worthiness run capacity standing at 800,000Km each bus which development has effectively enabled the country to secure international recognition from the International Automotive Association,” she noted.
She observed that the initial bus fleet roadworthiness run capacity was 200,000Km but the new and modified engine system stands at 800,000Kms as total travel mileage per bus which development now effectively qualifies Uganda to sell its bus fleets anywhere within the African continent and other parts of the world.
The minister said the development comes with the creation of over 6,000 new jobs largely technical in nature and urged the educated citizens to be on standby as the jobs would come down soon.
KMC is the first Ugandan company to be recognized globally as a manufacturing facility for brand new electric buses which gives Uganda pride as each bus would come out with professional unique identification code like ‘Bus Made in Uganda’ as stipulated under the International Automotive industry authorities.
For the last six weeks, part of the manufactured fleet has been undergoing road test plying between Jinja-Mbiko to Iganga and back at a very subsidized pocket friendly fare which is paid electrically through a user card.
The minister noted that working closely with stakeholders like the ministry of works and transport, they would soon road test some of the buses among the key country’s cities like Mbarara, Fort portal and Mbale among others.
“This will only happen as soon as the national integrated road master plan under the works ministry is harmonized given that most cities outside Metropolitan Kampala still have space for expansion and inclusion of road lanes for buses. Government with its stakeholders would build the corresponding infrastructure like road side bus stops and , exclusive lanes along highways respectively,” Musenero noted.
