BASIGO EXPANDS KENYA'S EV INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NEW CHARGING STATION IN ATHI RIVER
BasiGo, a pioneering electric bus solutions provider and Global Startup Awards Edition 10 global winner, has officially launched its newest electric vehicle charging facility at Shell Athi River service station. This marks the company's third Shell-hosted charging location in Kenya, following successful deployments at Shell Waiyaki Way and Shell New Gatitu service stations in Thika.
Strategic Infrastructure Investment
The Athi River station represents a strategic expansion of Kenya's sustainable transport infrastructure, supporting the country's rapidly growing electric vehicle fleet. Equipped with both CCS2 and GB/T DC charging capabilities, the facility can simultaneously charge up to four buses, ensuring efficient operations and minimizing downtime for transport operators.
The station will primarily serve buses operating along the Kitengela route, including fleets from Rembo Classic and Enabled Mashariki Sacco, providing these operators with reliable charging access directly along their operational routes.
Scaling Beyond City Limits
Moses Nderitu, Managing Director Kenya at BasiGo, emphasized the significance of expanding electric mobility infrastructure beyond Nairobi's urban core: "Every new charging site is a critical step toward a cleaner, more sustainable transport system for Kenya. Access to reliable charging remains the biggest barrier to e-mobility adoption, and partnerships like these are helping us overcome it. This is our third site with Shell, demonstrating that the model is effective and scalable."
Nderitu highlighted the strategic importance of the location: "What's especially important is that this station is expanding electric mobility beyond Nairobi's city limits. Located on a key corridor linking Nairobi to Machakos and the greater Eastern region, it gives operators the confidence to go electric. They can now see the infrastructure taking shape: rapid charging, reliable access, and locations directly along their routes. When operators know they can charge efficiently without disrupting schedules, the shift to electric becomes a straightforward business decision."
Collaborative Model for Growth
Peter Murungi, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Kenya, underscored the partnership's potential for scaling across their retail network: "Every day, we serve millions of Kenyans across our retail network, and today we are expanding that service to support electric mobility. Through partnerships like this, we are optimizing our existing sites while supporting the growth of Kenya's electric mobility ecosystem and creating new business opportunities. This demonstrates that collaboration can drive innovation and growth in the transport sector."
Murungi noted the natural synergy between Shell's station network and transport operators' daily routes: "Our extensive station network sits along the routes operators use daily, making this partnership a strong fit. Athi River is our third site with BasiGo, and we see significant potential to scale this infrastructure across our network as electric fleets continue to expand in Kenya."
Building Kenya's EV Backbone
The Athi River station forms part of BasiGo's broader infrastructure expansion strategy across Nairobi and its metropolitan region, strengthening the charging network essential for supporting Kenya's growing electric bus and commercial EV fleet.
With this expansion, BasiGo continues to operate Kenya's most extensive network of DC fast chargers for electric buses while maintaining the largest fleet of electric buses currently in service across East Africa. This infrastructure development demonstrates how targeted partnerships between mobility providers and established retail networks can accelerate the transition to sustainable transport systems.
As Kenya continues prioritizing clean energy and sustainable transport solutions, infrastructure developments like the Athi River charging station provide the foundation for operators to confidently transition to electric fleets, knowing reliable charging access exists along their operational corridors.
ABOUT THE GLOBAL STARTUP AWARDS
The Global Startup Awards discovers, supports, and celebrates innovative entrepreneurs and high-growth startups. Through competitions, collaborative events, and an active community, it helps founders connect, share insights, and accelerate the growth of their ventures.
Keep following the GSA community to discover how startups worldwide are innovating and shaping the future. More stories and updates are on the way.
🔗 Read more here.