Swedish-Kenyan technology company Roam has opened the largest electric motorcycle assembly plant in East Africa, with an annual production capacity of 50,000 units.

Kenya’s President William Ruto inaugurated the 10,000 square meter facility, which will drive urban mobility by offering sustainable transportation solutions for motorcycle taxis used in the boda boda and other logistics sectors, Roam said in a statement.

“This facility showcases Kenya’s potential as a leader in clean transportation solutions in Africa,” Ruto said.

Earlier, Roam launched the first electric public mass transit bus operation in Nairobi.

The one-year project aims to address the unique challenges of public transport by providing sustainable, efficient and modern mass transit solutions.

The pilot phase learnings will be used to scale up production and operations in the near future.

The Roam Rapid, equipped with a 384-kWh battery, has a range of 360 km on a single charge. Initially, 100 buses will be part of the Nairobi Bus Rapid Transport initiative.  

(Editing by Brinda Darasha; brinda.darasha@lseg.com)