E-Bus Xpress Kiira Ltd (EBX), a subsidiary of Kiira Motors Corporation, is set to expand its eco friendly public mass transport network into Kira Municipality with the launch of electric bus services on Friday, August 28, 2026.
A planned fleet of 15 locally developed Kayoola Electric Buses will roll out to deliver safe, scheduled and reliable transit across parts of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. The official launch will take place at Kira Playground.
The new service will connect growing residential communities to the Ntinda Hub and Kampala via three dedicated feeder routes:
1. Ntinda – Najjera – Kira – Kitukutwe – Kiwologoma – Nakwero
2. Ntinda – Naalya – Kyaliwajjala – Namugongo – Sonde
3. Ntinda – Kisasi – Kyanja – Kungu
Each route will be served by five buses offering air-conditioned coaches, onboard Wi-Fi, modern safety features and fully cashless payments. Fares will start from UGX 800 for adults and UGX 400 for students, depending on the distance travelled. Under the School Cashless Days Campaign, students will use smart digital wristbands for convenient fare payments, with no cash accepted on board.
Uganda’s homegrown electric mobility pioneer
The Kayoola buses are designed and manufactured by Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), Uganda’s state backed mobility enterprise based at the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja.
KMC has positioned itself as a leader in African electric vehicle production, focusing on sustainable mobility solutions tailored for the continent. Recent milestones include the successful rollout of electric bus services in Jinja since late 2024 and the launch of operations in Kampala in May 2026, where Kayoola EVS buses (with capacities of up to 90 passengers on some models) have been operating key city routes with fixed fares and cashless mobile money payments.
The company aims to expand to 300 electric buses in Kampala by mid-2028 and deploy 1,500 across 14 cities nationwide, supported by hundreds of charging stations.
In July 2026, President Yoweri Museveni hosted a luncheon celebrating the Presidential Pearl to Cape Expedition, in which Kayoola electric coaches completed a more than 13,700-kilometre journey across Southern Africa.
The expedition has boosted regional interest, with Eswatini completing a technical due diligence mission at the Kiira plant in early August 2026.
KMC is also rolling out a Taxi Owner Transition Package to help traditional operators shift to electric buses, offering ownership options, financing support, warranty, driver training, charging access and e-ticketing. The 42-passenger Kayoola 7M EVS model, for example, can carry three times the capacity of a typical 14-seater taxi while reducing road congestion.
Benefits of electric public transport
The expansion of zero emission electric buses brings multiple advantages for Uganda’s urban mobility and economy. Environmentally, the buses produce no tailpipe emissions, cutting carbon dioxide and improving air quality in densely populated areas.
Early operations in Jinja alone transported hundreds of thousands of passengers while significantly reducing emissions.
Electric buses offer substantial cost savings. Operators report energy costs around 60 percent lower than diesel equivalents, with reduced maintenance needs due to fewer moving parts.
This translates to more predictable fares for passengers and lower operating expenses for service providers. By substituting fuel imports with locally generated electricity, the system conserves foreign exchange and strengthens energy security.
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