On 20 November 2025, a Ugandan-built electric coach left Kampala for Cape Town. It came back on 28 December, after about 13,700 km through Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa. The bus was Kiira Motors' 13 metre Kayoola Electric Coach, and the trip ran under the name "From the Pearl to the Cape".

Electric buses are already common in cities. Driving an electric coach long distances every day through six countries, most of which have almost no public charging for a vehicle that size, is a much harder test, and that is what Kiira wanted to show it could do.

Illustration of a Kayoola electric coach on an African highway heading into a city

Charging along the way

The coach carries a 422 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which Kiira says is good for about 500 km per charge. There was no public fast charging network along the route that could reliably handle a heavy bus, so an advance team went ahead to scout and set up charging points, and mobile chargers filled the gaps. According to electrive, the bus averaged around 390 km on driving days, so most stops were planned charges rather than running the battery close to empty.

The bus used an average of 0.79 kWh per kilometre. Multiplying that by the distance gives roughly the total energy used on the trip, which matches Kiira's figure below.

About 2,370 km in, Eng. Fred Matovu of Kiira Motors talked about the charging problems and what they mean for building an EV industry in Africa:

What the trip tested

Apart from range, the route took the bus up to around 2,300 m in the Tanzanian highlands and through very different climates, which tests the battery's thermal management as much as its capacity. MTN provided connectivity so the bus could be monitored live along the way. Electrive reports one safety incident over the whole trip. A single trip cannot prove long-term reliability, but it is a good start.

The numbers

Kiira's figures for the trip:

  • Energy used: 10,904 kWh
  • Diesel saved: 5,189 litres
  • Fuel cost saved: about UGX 14.4 million (around $3,900)
  • CO2 avoided: over 6 tonnes

About $3,900 is modest for one bus on one trip, but a fleet running every day adds up quickly. The bigger argument for electric coaches in Uganda is fuel imports. Electricity can be generated locally, much of it from hydropower, while diesel has to be bought abroad.

Orders

Electrive reports more than 400 expressions of interest and pre-orders from cities, institutions and transport operators after the trip. The trade site MarkLines has also reported that Golden Arrow, the Cape Town bus operator, agreed to buy 450 Kayoola electric buses for about $150 million, including charging infrastructure. I could not find the announcement from either company, so treat that one as reported rather than confirmed. Golden Arrow is already moving to electric buses and has been buying from BYD, so a deal with Kiira would be a big win for a Ugandan manufacturer up against Chinese competition.

The coach itself

Kiira calls the 13 m coach "the King of the African Highway". It seats 53 to 65 people and comes with Wi-Fi, CCTV and a fridge.

Since the trip, Kiira has delivered more coaches to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, bringing that fleet to five.

According to electrive, Kiira still relies heavily on Chinese components. The design and assembly are done in Uganda though, and a trip like this gives buyers some evidence before they commit to a fleet.

The following cards provide further definitions of concepts discussed above, and possible links to related posts.

What is Kiira Motors?

Automotive Manufacturer

Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) is a State Enterprise in Uganda established to champion value addition in the domestic automotive industry. It builds electric and solar-powered buses and cars in Jinja, Uganda.

Uganda's Role in EV Innovation

African Tech

Uganda is building its own electric vehicle industry through Kiira Motors, with buses like the Kayoola E-Coach designed for African roads, distances and charging conditions.