Kenya Runs Electric Buses After 2011 'Toy' Dismissal

The woman critics dismissed as a dreamer is now moving thousands of African commuters to work every day without a drop of gasoline.

Doreen Orishaba remembers the skepticism clearly. When she helped build Africa's first electric car in 2011, people wrote it off as impractical tech that would never work in the real world. Fast forward to today, and she's operating dozens of electric buses across Kenya and Rwanda, proving the doubters spectacularly wrong.

Her buses run on near-silent engines that produce zero exhaust fumes. Thousands of passengers climb aboard each morning, getting to their jobs cleaner, quieter, and without contributing to air pollution. The vehicles that were once dismissed as Western toys are now essential parts of East African public transport.

Orishaba recently shared what it actually takes to scale clean transport at the TED Countdown Summit in June 2025. Her journey from prototype to full fleet offers a roadmap for cities struggling with pollution and transportation costs.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond individual bus rides. Passengers breathe cleaner air during their commutes and arrive at work without the headache of diesel fumes. Drivers operate vehicles that don't rattle their bodies with engine noise all day long.

Cities benefit from reduced air pollution in crowded bus corridors where exhaust traditionally concentrates. The financial savings add up too, since electricity costs less than constantly refilling gas tanks. Each bus represents one less vehicle pumping emissions into neighborhoods where children play and families live.

The technology Orishaba championed 14 years ago has matured into a proven solution. What started as a single experimental car has multiplied into a fleet serving real people with real transportation needs every single day.

Her message to other cities considering the switch is simple: skipping the gas station is closer than you think. The transition from skepticism to success took persistence, but the buses running their routes across Kenya and Rwanda prove it's possible. Clean transport isn't a distant dream anymore; it's picking up passengers at bus stops right now.