President William Ruto has announced a proposed KSh389 billion ($3 billion) investment to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing and green mobility ecosystem in Kenya.
The project will be implemented through a strategic partnership between Endelevu Enterprise Corporation and Chinese automobile manufacturer Geely Auto Group, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at State House, Nairobi, on Tuesday, October 6.
The partnership will cover electric vehicle assembly, charging infrastructure and other services, with Kenya seeking to position itself as a major manufacturing base for the East African and wider African market. Speaking during the ceremony, Ruto said the deal reflected growing investor confidence in Kenya and its economic potential.
“Capital is cautious. It goes where it is welcome, where the rules are clear, and where tomorrow looks better than today. Today, it has chosen Kenya,” he said.
The president also highlighted the adoption of the Kiswahili name Endelevu, meaning sustainable, saying the partnership should deliver tangible benefits to Kenyans.
“You have come not only to sell to Kenyans, but to build with Kenyans. Let this partnership earn its name,” Ruto said.
Two electric vehicle plants planned
The proposed investment will see Kenya establish an assembly plant capable of producing 50,000 four-wheel vehicles annually. A second facility will manufacture up to 100,000 two-wheelers and light-mobility vehicles each year, giving the two plants a combined capacity of 150,000 vehicles annually. The project will also establish 1,000 solar-powered charging hubs and a digital platform capable of supporting up to 100,000 green vehicles.
Ruto said the initiative was part of efforts to move Kenya away from importing finished products and towards local manufacturing, skills development and job creation.
“For decades, Kenya has imported the fuel that runs our vehicles, and the vehicles that burn that fuel. We have paid for both in hard currency,” he said.
The investment is expected to create about 2,000 direct jobs and more than 20,000 indirect opportunities through suppliers, logistics companies and service providers. A further 80,000 opportunities could emerge in fleet management, operations and related services.
“Behind these numbers are people,” Ruto said, citing technicians, boda boda riders and Kenyan engineers who would benefit from the emerging industry.
Ruto eyes African electric vehicle market
The president said Kenya’s growing electric mobility sector could also reduce reliance on imported fuel and ease pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Electricity consumed to charge electric vehicles increased from 2.92 million kWh in 2024 to 8.43 million kWh in 2025, representing a 188% rise.
Ruto noted that Kenya’s renewable energy resources, including geothermal, wind, solar and hydropower, gave the country an advantage in developing green transport.
“When we import fuel, we import price shocks. When we generate our own power, we generate our own stability,” he said.
Ruto said the vehicles would be manufactured not only for Kenya but also for regional and continental markets.
“We do not want to assemble for one market. We want to manufacture for East Africa and for Africa,” he said.
He directed the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry and Invest Kenya to facilitate the project and ensure approvals, land and infrastructure are delivered within clear timelines.
“A signature does not build a factory,” Ruto cautioned, urging the partners to move from the MoU to definitive agreements, groundbreaking and production.
Geely Auto Group, headquartered in China, operates across 88 countries and regions and is partnering with Endelevu Enterprise Corp Mobility on electric vehicle manufacturing, charging infrastructure and related green mobility services.
