By Johannah Nantongo
KAMPALA, Uganda — Kiira Motors Corporation has secured an agreement to export 820 electric buses to buyers in South Africa, a transaction projected to bring in approximately $250 million and mark a major milestone for Uganda’s automotive manufacturing sector.
The Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Monica Musenero Masanza, announced the development, describing the signed contracts as a breakthrough for the country’s vehicle export ambitions. Although she did not disclose the identities of the purchasing firms, she said the deal followed the successful 7,125-kilometer test journey of the Kayoola E-Coach from Kampala to Cape Town in late 2025, which showcased the durability and performance of Uganda’s electric buses.
To meet the new demand, the corporation is seeking an additional $143 million in financing to expand production capacity. Once funding is secured, operations at the Jinja Industrial Park plant are expected to scale up. The facility was initially designed to assemble up to nine buses per day, with plans to gradually increase output to 22 units daily.
Beyond the export market, interest within Uganda is also growing. According to the minister, demonstrations of the electric buses have sparked inquiries from domestic transport operators, some of whom are considering large fleet orders after seeing the vehicles operate under local conditions.
Kiira Motors is working alongside partners including Tondeka Metro, RentCo Africa, and Golden Dragon to advance its production targets. The consortium aims to manufacture up to 30,000 buses for the regional market by 2030, with a strategy to source at least 65 percent of components locally.
Delivery of the current South African order is expected within six to twelve months. While the company continues to prioritize local sourcing of materials, certain inputs such as specialized automotive steel and coatings will still need to be imported.