Kenya has emerged as the second African country with the highest number of electric vehicle charging stations, with 235 facilities recorded in 2025, according to a survey by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Egypt ranked first with 300 charging stations, while Ethiopia followed Kenya with 100. Rwanda recorded 40 stations, highlighting the wide gap in electric vehicle infrastructure across African countries.
More than 25 African countries had no electric vehicle charging station during the period covered by the ECA survey.
Kenya’s growing charging network has largely been driven by private companies and electric vehicle fleets, with most facilities concentrated in Nairobi and surrounding towns.
State-owned Kenya Power has also joined the expansion, installing charging stations at some of its offices and providing electricity infrastructure for charging facilities.
The ECA identified Kenya, Morocco and Rwanda among African countries creating conditions for investment in electric mobility through measures including tax incentives, rebates and infrastructure improvements.
Kenya has been planning a wider rollout of charging infrastructure beyond Nairobi. In 2025, Kenya Power announced plans for new charging locations in Nairobi, Nyeri, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, Mombasa and Taita Taveta.
A separate national proposal targets about 10,000 charging stations by 2030, with estimated investment of KSh6.12bn. The proposed rollout is expected to begin along major highways before expanding to urban centres and county headquarters.
However, the existing network remains unevenly distributed.
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Kenya Power reported that Nairobi accounted for 71 per cent of its cumulative electric vehicle charging revenue between July 2023 and April 2026. The utility recorded KSh382m in cumulative EV-charging revenue during the 34-month period.
Private operators are also expanding charging infrastructure around commercial transport routes.
Electric bus company BasiGo has developed charging facilities around its depots, terminals and bus routes, while its partnership with Rubis Energy Kenya has introduced public charging points at fuel stations.
The first facility under the partnership was launched at Rubis Sabaki along Mombasa Road, with additional locations announced for Meru, Nanyuki and Nyeri.
The Sabaki facility uses 100kW direct-current fast chargers supporting CCS2 and GB/T charging standards.
Electric buses are not the only drivers of Kenya’s electric mobility market. Electric motorcycles account for the overwhelming majority of the country’s registered electric vehicles.
Data from Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority put the registered electric vehicle population at 35,661. Of this number, 33,374 were electric motorcycles, while 829 were motor vehicles, with the remainder comprising three-wheelers.
The composition of Kenya’s electric vehicle fleet is influencing the type of charging infrastructure being developed.
Electric buses generally require depot-based or high-capacity fast charging facilities, while electric motorcycles can use battery-swapping networks that allow riders to exchange depleted batteries for charged ones.
Despite the growth in the number of charging stations, the ECA figure does not show how many stations are publicly accessible, operational or equipped with fast chargers.
It also does not indicate how many vehicles each station serves or how infrastructure is distributed between private cars, buses, motorcycles and commercial fleets.
Kenya’s recently gazetted charging guidelines reportedly provide for public charging stations every 25 kilometres on both sides of major highways. The guidelines also provide for heavy-duty charging stations for lorries and buses at bus stops in urban areas.
The success of the planned expansion will depend on factors including electricity capacity, land availability, permitting, maintenance and demand for charging services.
Kenya’s second-place position in Africa therefore reflects the country’s progress in building electric mobility infrastructure, while the next challenge will be expanding that network beyond major cities and ensuring that charging facilities remain accessible and operational as electric vehicle adoption grows.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
