• Proparco invests in Kenyan electric bus startup BasiGo to boost expansion
  

• BasiGo targets 1,000 electric buses, wider charging network across East Africa
  

• Electric buses cut emissions up to 90%, slash operator costs by 40%
  

French development finance institution Proparco has invested in Kenyan electric mobility startup BasiGo, the investor announced on Tuesday.

Proparco, a subsidiary of the French Development Agency (AFD) focused on private sector financing, did not disclose the amount. The investment is expected to help BasiGo, which supplies locally assembled electric buses to operators, accelerate its production and deployment in East Africa.

BasiGo plans to expand its industrial capacity, widen its charging station network, and accelerate its "Road to 1000" program, which aims to put 1,000 electric buses into operation in the coming years.

For Proparco, the issue goes beyond the development of a single company. It is about building a clean, replicable transport model capable of meeting the growing needs of African cities.

"By supporting BasiGo, we are helping to unlock a new generation of clean, reliable mass public transport solutions for tens of thousands of passengers in Kenya and Rwanda, and to scale this solution in other African cities," said Jean Guyonnet-Dupérat, Proparco's Regional Director for East Africa.

This new step follows a $42 million funding round raised by the startup in October 2024.

In East Africa, where most buses still run on diesel, the electrification of public transport is seen as a key lever for reducing CO₂ emissions, improving air quality, and lowering operating costs for operators.

According to BasiGo, each of its electric buses reduces emissions by 70% to 90% compared to a diesel bus, while also helping to clean the air in the most congested urban areas.

The company says operators using its buses save an average of 40% on their annual operating costs. BasiGo states it has deployed 100 electric buses in Kenya and Rwanda since its founding in 2021.

Sandrine Gaingne