E-Buses start Kira route as Kampala transport system faces new test

KAMPALA. Uganda’s electric bus experiment is moving closer to the heart of Kampala, but the expansion is exposing a major challenge: the city’s transport infrastructure is not yet designed to give buses priority on the road.

E-Bus Express, a subsidiary of electric vehicle manufacturer Kira Motor Corporation (KMC), has started services in Kira Municipality and plans to enter Kampala Central by December as it expands its fleet.

The company currently operates 16 electric buses on three routes—Kisasi-Kyanja-Kungu, Ntinda-Najjera-Nakwero and Ntinda-Naalya-Namugongo—and plans to increase the fleet to 50 by the end of the year.

The expansion is being presented as part of efforts to provide cleaner and more efficient public transport in Greater Kampala, where increasing numbers of private vehicles, taxis and inadequate road infrastructure continue to worsen congestion.

But officials acknowledge that the electric buses could face the same problem that has undermined previous attempts to introduce organised bus transport in the capital: competing for limited road space with other vehicles.

Eng. Jacob Byamukama, the Deputy Director of Transport and Roads Management, said taking the buses into central Kampala would be challenging because the city does not have dedicated bus lanes.

“We have carried…”

He said authorities were working on traffic management measures and road infrastructure that should support the planned expansion by December.

The absence of dedicated lanes means E-Bus Express buses will have to compete with taxis, private cars, motorcycles and other road users, potentially limiting the speed and efficiency that large-scale bus transport is expected to bring.

The challenge echoes the experience of Pioneer Easy Bus, whose operations in Kampala were affected by infrastructure and operational problems.

Byamukama said the government was determined to avoid repeating those shortcomings as it develops a more integrated metropolitan transport system.

The Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda, said Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) would work to create a more supportive environment for the expanding bus network.

She also urged E-Bus Express and KMC to engage existing taxi operators and explain the benefits and operational model of electric buses to reduce possible conflicts.

“We are asking…”

Kabanda said the Greater Kampala Transport Master Plan was intended to go beyond introducing buses to developing a transport system that improves mobility, protects the environment and enhances the dignity of passengers.

The new routes will initially be free for one week, up to September 6. Thereafter, adult fares will start at Shs800, while schoolchildren will pay half the adult fare.

The buses offer cashless payments through MTN MoMo, free Wi-Fi and phone-charging facilities, alongside other safety features.

The combination of technology and locally manufactured electric buses is intended to offer commuters an alternative to conventional public transport, while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

However, Kira Municipality Mayor Allan Bulamu said the success of the initiative would depend on whether the buses are integrated into the wider metropolitan transport system.

He called for the development of dedicated bus lanes, designated stages, passenger shelters and other supporting infrastructure.

He also urged authorities not to sideline taxi operators as the public transport system changes.

“As we expand…”

Mr Emmanuel Mugunga, the E-Bus Express board chairman, said the company was ready to deploy up to 100 buses across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area before the end of the year if authorities allocate more routes.

The company ultimately wants to deploy as many as 1,000 electric buses in major Ugandan cities.

For now, however, E-Bus Express is using the Kira rollout to build on its experience outside Kampala.

The company began a pilot electric bus service in the Jinja area in November 2024, initially operating along the Jinja-Iganga and Jinja-Nakibizi corridors.

The service started with seven buses and, according to the company, has since carried about 3.5 million passengers. During the early stages of the rollout, it transported about 300,000 passengers.

The Jinja experience, the company says, demonstrates that there is demand for electric public transport even with a relatively small fleet.

Ibrahim Senyonga, the General Manager of the Enterprise Business Unit at MTN Uganda, said the telecommunications company was providing the cashless payment platform and internet connectivity on the buses.

He said the system would allow passengers to pay fares without carrying physical cash, while MTN would work to maintain connectivity on the routes.

E-Bus Express Managing Director Ian John Kavuma said the environmental gains from electric buses were another reason for expanding the service.

He said the company had avoided about 1.5 tonnes of carbon emissions and accumulated billions of “green kilometres”.

The figures, he said, demonstrate the potential of electric buses to reduce emissions from public transportation.

But the transition comes with a significant upfront cost.

KMC’s Kayoola electric buses cost between $99,000 and $330,000 (about Shs370 million to Shs1.2 billion), depending on the size, battery capacity and specifications.

Comparable diesel-powered buses cost between $70,000 and $150,000 (about Shs260 million to Shs560 million).

The electric buses therefore require a higher initial investment, although the manufacturer argues that the long-term operating costs are lower because the vehicles do not require diesel or petrol and have fewer conventional engine components to maintain.

The buses also have no tailpipe emissions.

The launch has consequently placed Kampala at an important point in its public transport transition: electric buses are arriving, but the infrastructure required to make them work efficiently is still catching up.

Mr Mugunga said the company was prepared to expand wherever authorities provide routes.

“We are available…”

For commuters, the immediate attraction may be the relatively low fare, cashless payments, Wi-Fi and quieter travel.

For Kampala’s transport planners, however, the bigger test will be whether the city can create enough road space and supporting infrastructure to allow the buses to move efficiently.

Without that, the shift from diesel to electric could change what powers Kampala’s buses without fundamentally changing the congestion that slows them down.