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Proparco Announces Investment in BasiGo to Accelerate Electric Bus Adoption in East Africa

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  • Kenya

  • East Africa

proparco basigo kenya electric buses climate
Sen Media and Events Ltd

Proparco backs e-mobility start-up BasiGo to scale mass public transport in African cities, reducing emissions significantly across rapidly growing urban areas.

Proparco has completed an investment in BasiGo, a Nairobi-based e-mobility start-up providing electric bus solutions for public transport operators in Kenya and Rwanda.

BasiGo is leading electric bus mobility in Africa, with 100 electric buses deployed across Kenya and Rwanda. The company locally assembles electric buses, develops and operates charging infrastructure, and partners with bus operators to offer a cost-effective electric alternative to diesel for mass public transport in African cities. 

Since its inception in 2021, BasiGo’s activities have delivered key outcomes in terms of climate change mitigation, as electric buses reduce CO₂ emissions by an estimated 70–90% compared to diesel buses, improved road safety, and public health through reduced air pollution.

Proparco’s investment in BasiGo forms part of the AFD Group’s wider drive to deliver low-carbon urban mobility. The Group commits around €1bn per year to transport and mobility worldwide. In cities such as Dakar and Bogotá, Proparco supports private operators, notably through PPP arrangements, helping to scale electric bus systems and to make public transport more sustainable, affordable and inclusive.

Key impact outcomes:

  • Buses deployed: 100 electric buses in operation across Kenya and Rwanda.
  • Climate: each diesel bus replaced by a BasiGo electric bus mitigates more than 50 tCO₂e per year; in total, over 3,000 tCO₂e avoided to date.
  • Beneficiaries: 29 operators benefiting from buses that deliver approximately 40% annual operating cost savings.
  • Clean Kilometres Driven: 1,437,591 km, with over 9 million passengers carried to date.


“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, Regional Director for East Africa at Proparco. “BasiGo’s locally assembled electric buses cut emissions, improve air quality, and support quality jobs—fully consistent with Proparco’s mandate on the continent, the Choose Africa initiative, and our commitments under the Paris Agreement.” 

Jit Bhattacharya, CEO and Co-Founder of BasiGo, stated, “Proparco’s investment is a powerful endorsement of the future we are building for African cities. Since 2021, BasiGo has proven that electric buses deliver stronger economics for operators while avoiding CO₂ emissions and delivering a comfortable experience for passengers. It is a strong validation of our model and a catalyst for the next phase of growth: scaling local assembly, expanding our charging network, and accelerating our Road to 1000 electric buses.