The United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) has commended the Kiira Motors Corporation Ltd, the makers of the solar-powered bus, for championing the 21st century green mobility technologies in Africa.
Unep Executive Director Achim Steiner made the communication while meeting the Kiira Motors Corporation team on the sidelines of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) conference in Nairobi last week.
“In this century, people have been wondering where this technology will come from … to be here and we have this bus with green mobile technology is quite inspiring,” Steiner said.
Steiner made the remarks after joining several senior UN officials in a drive aboard the Kayoola EV bus at the conference venue in Nairobi. Kiira Motors Corporation, has been exhibiting the Kayoola EV bus, Africa’s first zero-emissions electric traction bus.
KMC was invited to be the Green Mobility Technology Exhibitor by Climate Action, the organizers of the Sustainable Innovation Expo, on the sidelines of UNEA, in recognition of the nascent automotive integrator’s pioneering role in the development of relevant and zero-emissions mobility solutions for Africa and by Africans.
Representing Uganda, Prof Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, the State minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, called for more private investment to boost green technological innovations.
“The monetary rewards will be enormous for the private investors who will invest in the 21st mobility technology … The automotive industry with these new tested technologies is the right sector for private investments,” said Tickodri-Togboa.
Asked about the exhibition, Kiira Motors chief executive officer, Paul Isaac Musazi, was pleased by the outcome.
“We at Kiira Motors are fired up to ensure that vehicles made in Uganda are a reality,” he stressed.
The conference was called to tackle climate change issues such as pollution and the illegal trade in wildlife that is pushing species to the brink of extinction.
Addressing the opening session, UNEP executive director Steiner noted that, “the environment [matters had] shifted from the margins of attention to the centre of global decision-making since the first UNEA in 2014”.