Day: July 4, 2023

‘My electric bike (e-bike) has been a blessing to me since it has greatly saved me from the soaring cost of fuel. Nowadays, unlike before, I am able to cater for the basic needs of my young family because my daily earnings have increased tremendously as my clientele base widens.”

As the world races against time to embrace clean energy solutions, this was the testimony of Philip Akach, an e-bike rider operating in Homa-Bay Town.

The 27-year-old boasts of being among the pioneers in the boda boda industry from the lake region who have fully transitioned from using gasoline-powered motorbikes to the more efficient e-bikes.

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o during the launch of e-bikes to be used by Village Administrators in a move to save the environment from toxic carbon emissions. Similar bikes are set to be assembled in Kisumu. Photo by Robert Ojwang’

This is in line with President William Ruto’s clarion call for the introduction of E-Mobility in September 2023 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into ecosystems.

Achar, who shifted to using e-bikes in January this year, expressed approval of the innovative e-mobility as effective and efficient since they can survive in all weather conditions.

‘I have been able to wade through rough and muddy-murram roads with less effort during the rainy seasons while some of my bodaboda colleagues either get stuck or struggle to manoeuvre,” he proudly said.

He adds that e-bikes are made with powerful features, as they can carry heavy loads and cover long-distance journeys in different terrains.

‘I love it because it is environmentally friendly; it doesn’t emit any smoke, and this helps in preventing pollution,’ the rider says.

What was his game-changer?

Achar recalls that when We!Hub Victoria Limited (WeTU), a social enterprise founded in 2019, came calling, he became hooked on the idea.

As the E-mobility pioneer in the western Kenya region, WeTu continues to promote and rent out e-bikes for cheaper and more eco-friendly mobility.

‘We are the pioneer organization to commercialize and promote e-mobility to attain income sustainability and environmental conversation objectives in the lake belt region,” WeTu Head of Marketing and Communications Isaac Onyonyi said.

On this day, during an exclusive interview with KNA, we caught up with e-bike rider Akach as he was patiently waiting to serve his clients who were about to disembark from the Waterbus at the Mbita ferry pier.

Akach’s client destination is over 200 km away, at the far-flung and fish-rich Sori Karungu beach in Migori County. According to Akach, so many of his colleagues are yearning to own e-bikes, and he has been at the forefront of helping them acquire e-bikes at WeTu.

He says that the current payment method with the organization is based on battery consumption.

‘Initially, we used to rent the e-bike for Sh. 600 on a daily basis, but now we pay Sh. 200 per fully charged battery. Mine has two, so I pay Sh.400. On good working days, I pay Sh. 800,” Akach reveals, further confirming that this is the best option as the payment arrangement offers better returns.

With his so far acquired knowledge and skills in handling e-bikes, Akach advises that a rider should move at a speed of 40 kmph and below and set it at module 2 for the battery to survive longer distances.

‘If you use module 3, the battery consumption will be higher and deplete faster. Another advantage of using e-bikes from WeTu is that even if the battery is at zero per cent, one can ride at a low speed and reach the office to change it. You don’t need to call for backup battery replacement or push the bike,’ he reassured.

Getruda Akomo, a fishmonger at Nyagwethe Centre in Suba South Constituency, is full of praise for the new e-bike; as she says, it is set to promote brisk business and open new opportunities among the youth and the fisher folks.

‘I am happy because our fish catch and other goods will safely and quickly reach the markets in a few hours. Every time I use it, I have never gotten stranded on the road, as is the norm with motorcycles, which run out of fuel,’ she testifies.

WeTu operates along the beaches, with its 12 hubs (operation bases) dotting the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, and Siaya Counties.

‘As a noble initiative, we introduced e-bikes in a pilot phase in Katito town, Kisumu County, and HomaBay town. Currently, we have 12 e-bikes and intend to increase the number to 37 by the end of August 2023,’ disclosed Mr. Onyonyi.

The organization also boasts of using solar energy to provide solutions with social impact, such as leasing solar fishing lanterns to omena (sardine) fishermen and providing clean and safe drinking water.

Mr. Onyonyi further emphasized that ‘We pump, filter, and dispense clean drinking water by solar-powered ATM machines, make cooling ice flakes for fish preservation and agricultural produce, and make eco-friendly lamp floaters to minimize the destruction of marine twigs from further destruction.’

Kisumu County Director of Climate Change Evans Gichana avers that a Baseline Emission Inventory Report released in 2022 estimated that the road transport sector, including vehicles and motorbikes, in Kenya accounts for 85% of greenhouse gas emissions, which is an all-time high record.

To keep our environment clean, Gichana called upon motorbike riders to shift from gasoline to e-bikes for them to benefit and pointed out that the e-mobility transition is a global trend which needs support.

He stressed the need for a community-led approach to critically sensitize the public on how to reduce greenhouse emissions.

‘Governor Anyang Nyong’o’s administration has partnered with key stakeholders such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UN-HABITAT, and organizations like WeTu to conserve our ecosystem in the county. We launched e-mobility in 2021 and have put in place policies and Climate Action Plans to drive this agenda,” Gichana said during an interview in his office at the new Nyanza Provincial Headquarters.

He posits that Kisumu City is among those that are earnestly working towards clean cities. ‘We urge our residents to embrace initiatives like ‘Free Car Day’ in order for them to leave their cars at home and walk to work to reduce greenhouse gases,’ Gichana appealed.

WeTu reiterates that they are in a good position to share experiences with the public and also demystify e-mobility as they prepare Nyanza for imminent change and adoption because it’s the future of mobility.

They reassured the local residents that they will continuously strive to offer safe, reliable, fully compliant, and professional e-bike services in the Western Kenya region.

”I always encourage my fellow riders to migrate from fuel-consuming motorbikes and use clean and pro-efficient mobility bikes. In this way, they will be able to work stress-free, adequately cater for their families, and save some money for individual development as they take care of the environment,’ Akach emphasized in his parting shot.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has successfully commenced night navigation operations for fully-laden petroleum products vessels at the port of Mombasa.

An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for bulk transporting oil or its products. At the same time, the Likoni pedestrian bridge was closed indefinitely for renovations as KPA launched the night pilotage of oil.

An aerial view of an oil tanker ship as the Mombasa port looks forward to night transit operations for oil vessels.

The port authorities are hopeful that once the night navigation system is implemented, the turnaround time for oil tankers, which is currently around 3 days, will be reduced by at least 12 hours.

Under night navigation protocols, an oil vessel carrying 105,000 cubic meters of imported gasoline berthed at the new Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT).

The new Sh. 40 billion KOT has increased oil handling capacity at the port, which can handle four ships as compared to one ship that used to dock at the old Kipevu oil terminal.

The event in the wee hours of the night was witnessed by senior port authorities led by the Managing Director (MD), Capt. William Ruto.

‘As KPA, we expect the daily operational capacity at the port of Mombasa to increase with the commencement of the night navigation operations for large vessels laden with petroleum products,’ he said, adding that the move will attract more local and foreign investors to the port.

He said the night berthing will allow the port to essentially operate on a 24/7 basis as KPA seeks to make cargo operations on oil tankers safer.

‘When it comes to cargo operations on oil tankers, utmost care should be taken during the loading and discharging operations because of the extremely hazardous nature of the liquid cargo,’ said Ruto, a qualified ship captain.

Ruto described the commencement of night operations for oil vessels as a groundbreaking development that will, in the long run, improve overall port performance.

‘This marks the successful commencement of fully operational night navigation for oil tankers calling at the port of Mombasa and is a major breakthrough in oil import handling operations in Kenya,’ said Ruto, adding that this will further improve port efficiency and traffic movement.

He said, ‘It should be noted that through this new initiative of night berthing, we seek to further resolve port congestion and save heavy demurrages faced by the importers. Demurrage is a fee attached to cargo that has overstayed its time at a port terminal.

He said lack of night navigation caused inordinate delays, which were damaging for the shipping operations and resulted in serious monetary losses to importers.

The KPA MD said previously that the Mombasa port, the gateway to East and Central Africa, could not undertake night berthing due to safety concerns.

The Port of Mombasa is the main gateway to the Eastern African region, serving a wide and rapidly growing hinterland consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Northern Tanzania, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Somalia.

‘We are glad to inform port stakeholders that we have put in place robust safety and security measures that would allow for an efficient and effective supply of petroleum products for domestic and transit markets,’ said Ruto. The port already operates more or less on a 24/7 basis.

He said the move will ensure efficient operations of ports and terminals, which are critical for the region’s energy security, noting that they are determined to ensure the growth and competitiveness of the country’s commercial seaports.

The port boss said improving the turnaround time of vessels and reducing cargo time are critical to attracting more vessels to the region. He revealed that the Mombasa port will continue to strive for improvement in its efficiency, facilitating port users and assisting regional economies.

Source: Kenya News Agency