KIRA — Electric public transport has expanded into Kira Municipality with the launch of three new feeder routes operated by E-Bus Xpress, offering residents an alternative to conventional taxis and other fossil-fuel-powered public transport.
The service, launched on Friday, is being operated with 15 Kayoola electric buses, with five buses assigned to each of the three corridors.
The routes connect: Kisasi–Kyanja–Kungu, Ntinda–Najjera–Nakwero and Ntinda–Naalya–Namugongo–Seeta.
Residents will receive free rides from August 28 to September 6, 2026, as part of an introductory period intended to allow commuters to experience the new electric transport system.
The Government of Uganda encouraged residents to take advantage of the free service, describing the launch as an improvement in accessibility and connectivity within Kira Municipality.
“Today, E-Bus Xpress is launching new routes in Kira Municipality, easing transportation and improving connectivity for residents across several routes in the municipality,” the government said in a statement posted on X.
The government described the initiative as a step towards making public transport “more accessible, convenient and reliable” for residents.
After the free-rides period, fares will reportedly start at Shs800 for adults, while students will pay Shs400, providing a potentially cheaper alternative for some commuters along the routes.
The buses are equipped with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and cashless payment systems, alongside safety features designed to provide a different commuting experience from the largely informal taxi system that dominates many urban routes.
For E-Bus Xpress, the launch represents what the company calls a new “green belt” around Kira, as electric buses begin connecting residential areas with major transport corridors.
The company announced the three routes under the slogan “Kira Is Electric”, inviting residents to experience what it described as an “Electric Experience”.
The expansion comes as Uganda seeks to increase the use of electric vehicles as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, cut transport emissions and modernise public transportation.
Uganda has in recent years positioned electric mobility as one component of its broader industrial and energy transition, with locally developed electric buses and motorcycles increasingly entering the market.
The Kayoola electric buses, developed in Uganda, have become one of the most visible symbols of that ambition. Their deployment in Kira places electric public transport closer to densely populated residential communities, rather than restricting the technology to demonstrations or limited pilot projects.
The move also raises a larger question about Uganda’s public transport system: can electric mobility move beyond being a technological novelty and become a practical replacement for the ageing, fragmented and often unreliable transport system on which millions of urban residents depend?
That question is particularly relevant in the Kampala metropolitan area, where rapid population growth has increased pressure on roads and public transport.
Kira Municipality has expanded rapidly in recent years, with residential developments stretching towards areas such as Najjera, Kungu, Nakwero, Naalya, Namugongo and Seeta. The new routes are intended to improve connections between these communities and established transport hubs such as Ntinda and Kyanja.
The buses’ relatively low operating emissions could also help address air pollution associated with conventional vehicles, particularly along congested urban corridors.
The September 6 end of the free-rides period will therefore be an early test. Free transport can attract passengers; retaining them when fares begin will require reliability, convenience and affordability.
E-Bus Xpress said the new routes are part of its broader expansion of electric public transport.