Rwanda to licence only electric motorbikes by Jan 2025

As part of efforts to promote sustainable mobility and energy, the Rwandan government has announced that starting in January 2025, petrol-powered motorcycles will no longer be registered for public transport in Kigali.

“We will not register petrol motorbikes for public transport in Kigali. Only electric ones will be considered for commercial public transport,” stated Jimmy Gasore, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, in a report published by The New Times.

Addressing concerns about the economic impact of the new policy, Gasore clarified that it will not have a retrospective effect and will not apply to existing petrol-powered motorbikes.

According to Gasore, this move aligns with Rwanda’s e-mobility strategy and aims to discourage the importation of non-electric bikes for public transport.

In the same report, Juliet Kabera, Director General of the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA), discussed the country’s preparedness for this significant transition and highlighted the benefits of electric motorbikes.

“There are already many players in the electric motorcycle ecosystem. Electric bikes are both eco-friendly and affordable,” Kabera noted.

With this policy, Rwanda joins Ethiopia in leading the charge against fuel-powered vehicles in Africa. Earlier this year, Addis Ababa banned the import of combustion-engine vehicles, compelling drivers in the country to switch to electric vehicles.