BOOMING BUSINESS: Uganda’s Kiira Motors Secures Juicy Deal to Supply 820 Electric Buses to South Africa at Over Shs1bn Each

Uganda’s Kiira Motors has secured a juicy deal worth $250m to supply 820 electric buses to South Africa at over Shs1bn each, The Pearl Times has learnt.

The deal indicates just how much Uganda is making waves in the electric vehicle industry.

This is by far the biggest deal by Kiira Motors Corporation.

It follows a road trip in December 2025 in which Kiira Motors Kayoola E-Coach completed a 7,125 journey from Kampala Cape Town.

This isn’t just a win for Uganda’s economy, but also a significant step towards Africa’s green transition.

Dr Monica Musenero, the minister of science, technology and innovation, says the contracts have already been signed.

“On our table now, we have 820 orders, signed to supply buses but those are the ones for export,” she told government daily The New Vision.

Dr Musenero also revealed that transport companies in Uganda are picking interest in the electric buses. It won’t be long before you are on an electric bus to Gulu City or Kabale.

With this deal on table, now Kiira Motors Corporation want a little over $140m to supply the South African companies.

Musenero is also confident that Kiira Motors, working with Tondeka Metro, Renico Africa and Golden Dragon will be able to meet the regional demand of 30,000 electric buses by 2030.

The buses, manufactured at Kiira’s 100-acre facility in Jinja, will be exported to South Africa within 6-12 months.

Key Figures

• The $250 million deal is approximately Sh922,904,107,500 in Ugandan Shillings, based on the current exchange rate of 1 USD = 3,691.61643 UGX.

• Each electric bus costs approximately Sh1.1 billion (UGX 1,121,951,220) based on the $250 million deal for 820 buses, which translates to around $305,000 per bus.

• Total Deal: $250 million (approximately Sh922.9 billion)

• Number of Buses: 820

• Cost per Bus: $305,000 (approximately Sh1.1 billion)

Minister Monica Musenero has been involved in a number of science and innovation projects, some of which have been controversial, including being accused of stealing billions of money meant for the manufacture of Covid19 vaccine, but Museveni defended her saying she was her decorated minister. (See Details Here and There).