By Milliam Murigi
Battery swapping is transforming Kenya’s e-mobility landscape by eliminating charging delays, reducing costs, and driving a cleaner, faster, and more reliable transport future. Using solar allows the hubs to rely less on the grid and adds resilience, especially in peri-urban or rural areas where grid supply is intermittent.
Carol Ofafa, an electrical engineer by training and the founder of E-Safiri, a Kenyan e-mobility enterprise, focused on developing solar-powered battery swapping and charging hubs for two- and three-wheelers, explains more on this topic.
Q: Why did you choose to focus on battery swapping rather than having charging stations?
A: We chose battery swapping because it saves time for high-use riders like boda bodas, farmers, and delivery fleets – a swap takes under 3 minutes. It cuts range anxiety, lowers upfront costs by about 40 percent, and allows solar or off-peak charging. Swapping also promotes standardization in Kenya’s fragmented market, building a shared, circular energy system for reliable, affordable, and inclusive clean mobility.
Q: How does the battery-swapping system work for users on a day-to-day basis?
A: Our system is simple, digital, and efficient. Riders arrive at an E-Safiri hub, hand in a low battery, collect a charged one, and pay through our M-Pesa–integrated app or paybill. We currently operate hubs across Kisumu County: Dunga Beach, Kisumu CBD, Mamboleo, and Awuoth (Nyamasaria), with the Gita hub and Kiumba Beach in Homabay under construction. Each hub swaps over 20 batteries daily, supporting hundreds of active riders. Our batteries are locally assembled in partnership with regional suppliers, ensuring quality, reliability, and scalability.
Q: Your hubs run on solar and internet of things (IoT) — how do these technologies change the economics of e-mobility for riders and for Kenya’s clean energy transition?
A: By running hubs on solar energy, we decouple riders from volatile fuel and grid electricity prices. Our IoT-enabled systems remotely monitor battery health, charge cycles, and energy flows, ensuring predictive maintenance and 99 percent uptime. For Kenya, this model is transformative: solar-led, data-driven e-mobility adds flexible load to the grid, supports rural electrification, and contributes to clean, distributed energy systems.
Q: How affordable is the swapping service compared to traditional fueling methods for boda boda riders?
A: On a per-kilometer basis, swapping is 25–40 percent cheaper than petrol. Riders also save on engine maintenance; no oil, spark plugs, or exhaust repairs. Our Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) model lowers financial barriers to entry, allowing riders to pay gradually while earning income daily. Early data shows that our riders increase their disposable income by up to Sh8,000 monthly, translating to tangible livelihood improvements.
Q: Beyond mobility, what else is provided at the hubs?
A: Each E-Safiri hub is designed as a community energy node. Excess solar power is used to light up surrounding areas, charge electronics, and support local enterprises like fish preservation through solar-powered ice blocks. While we don’t sell electricity to households, we create a multiplier effect- powering livelihoods, enhancing nighttime security, and enabling productivity long after sunset.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in scaling E-Safiri?
A: Scaling local e-mobility innovation is tough due to battery standardization issues, high import costs, limited manufacturing, and unclear regulations. Unlike foreign firms, local innovators like E-Safiri operate on tight budgets, investing in both infrastructure and community education. Kenya needs fiscal incentives, research and development (R&D) support, and green financing to empower homegrown firms. One of the reasons I applied for the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is that scaling is so difficult, but the Prize has put E-Safiri in front of international investors.
Q: How do you handle battery recycling or end-of-life management, given concerns about e-waste?
A: We have a robust battery circularity plan. Depleted batteries undergo a second-life process, powering radios, TVs, and lighting systems in rural homes. We also work with certified partners for safe recycling and recovery of valuable materials. Our goal is to build a closed-loop system, thus minimizing e-waste while maximizing sustainability.
Q: What advice would you give to young innovators who want to design local solutions for global challenges?
A: Start by solving a real, local problem. Build context-driven solutions, pilot fast, measure results, and refine. Collaboration is key; partner with academia, government, and communities to de-risk innovation. Most importantly, focus on impact, not glamour. Sustainability and reliability must anchor every business decision.
Q: If Kenya is to rapidly expand electric vehicle (EV) adoption, what risks would personal charging setups pose to the national grid, and how does battery swapping offer an alternative?
A: Unplanned home charging poses risks, from grid overload during peak hours to fire hazards from unsafe wiring. Battery swapping solves this by centralizing and managing charging safely, using solar power and smart load scheduling. It’s the difference between chaotic electrification and planned sustainability.
Q: Looking ahead, do you see battery swapping as a long-term solution for Africa?
A: Swapping is not a stopgap; it’s a sustainable backbone for commercial light electric vehicles. As the grid expands and vehicle ownership diversifies, we’ll see a hybrid future: swapping for high-utilization fleets, and managed charging for personal EVs. Africa’s mobility revolution will be multi-modal, clean, and inclusive and E-Safiri is proud to be powering that journey, one swap at a time.
