From Pearl to Cape and Back: Kayoola E-Coach Returns Home After Historic African Journey

Uganda’s Kiira Motors Corporation has successfully completed the “Made in Uganda Pearl to Cape Electric Expedition 2025”, marking a major milestone for Africa’s emerging electric mobility industry.

The expedition, which began on November 20, 2025, at Namboole Stadium, saw the Kayoola E-Coach 13M (2025 model) travel more than 13,700 kilometres across six African countries — Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini and South Africa — before returning home on December 28.

Kiira Motors described the journey as the longest electric bus expedition ever undertaken on the African continent, serving as a real-world test of the performance, endurance and efficiency of locally manufactured electric vehicles.

“This expedition proves that Africa can design, build and deploy world-class electric mobility solutions,” said Paul Isaac Musasizi, Founding Chief Executive Officer of Kiira Motors Corporation. “The Kayoola E-Coach has demonstrated that heavy-duty electric transport is viable across Africa’s diverse terrain and infrastructure.”

Performance and Environmental Impact

According to Kiira Motors, the electric bus achieved an average energy efficiency of 0.79 kWh per kilometre, consuming approximately 9,600 kWh over the journey, while avoiding more than 5.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions compared to a diesel-powered equivalent.

The expedition combined long-distance travel with technical validation, testing the vehicle under varying climatic, road and altitude conditions across East and Southern Africa.

Government and Institutional Support

The expedition was backed by the Government of Uganda as part of its broader industrialisation and green mobility agenda. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has previously championed Kiira Motors as a flagship “Made in Uganda” manufacturing project.

Kiira Motors acknowledged the role of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) in incubating the project and constructing the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja, as well as the contribution of Makerere University, where the original Kiira EV project was conceived.

Private Sector and Regional Collaboration

Telecommunications firm MTN Uganda supported the expedition with real-time vehicle telemetry, connectivity and cross-border mobile money payments, enabling seamless operations across multiple countries.

“The Pearl to Cape Expedition has shown that Africa’s green mobility future can be digitally connected, efficient and scalable,” Kiira Motors said in a statement.

The company also thanked host countries and regional partners for facilitating cross-border movement, describing the journey as a symbol of continental integration through technology.

A Milestone for African E-Mobility

Industry analysts say the successful completion of the expedition strengthens Uganda’s position in Africa’s growing electric vehicle manufacturing space and provides a strong case for wider adoption of electric public transport across the continent.

Kiira Motors said the expedition represents “only the beginning” of Africa’s transition to electric mobility. “The future of Africa is electric,” Musasizi said. “And Africa is building it.”