LocationsCharging Uganda’s Future: How Young Innovators Are Powering the E-Mobility Revolution
October 30, 2025
The 25 E-mobility Skilling Programme Students with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Ian C.King
When the first cohort of twenty-five students, twelve young women and thirteen young men, walked into the E-Mobility Skilling Programme at the Makerere University Innovation Pod (Mak-UniPod) in October 2024, few imagined how far their journey would take them. Today, they are not just graduates; they are Research Associates at Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), part of Uganda’s rapidly growing electric mobility ecosystem. The students proudly assembled two fully functional electric buses that are already on the road, championing Uganda’s broader e-mobility vision. They have not stopped there, they are now undertaking a moonshot project, the design and development of a driverless campus electric shuttle expected to be completed by 2028, which will redefine student transportation at Makerere University. Theirs is a story of innovation, youth empowerment, and transformative partnership. This is part of a broader vision for Uganda, where Science and Innovation serve as accelerants in Uganda’s transformation to a middle-income economy by 2040.
The Power of Partnerships: UNDP, KMC, and Mak-UniPod Leading the Charge
The E-Mobility skilling programme is a collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), and the Makerere University Innovation Pod (Mak-UniPod) under the Timbuktoo pan African Initiative. It is a comprehensive skills programme equipping university students with hands-on skills in Electric Vehicle (EV) technologies. The skills they receive include in electrical systems, mechanical components, software integration, battery technologies, and charging infrastructure. It was designed to ensure that Uganda doesn’t just consume technology but creates it, adapts it, and owns its future.
With UNDP Uganda’s support, the E-mobility skilling programme brought together students from diverse academic disciplines including physics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software development, and computer engineering. The second cohort, expected to launch in October 2025, will expand to include disciplines such as architecture, art and design, and business strengthening the mechanical designs while also developing financing and business models for the driverless campus shuttle. Over months of intensive training at the Mak-UniPod, established jointly between UNDP and the Makere University and the Internship at KMC, they learned battery technology, electric vehicle assembly, software integration, and advanced manufacturing techniques, applying global best practices to local solutions while gaining hands-on experience in the real-world e-mobility ecosystem.
From Classrooms to Production Lines: Learning by Building
A student showcasing the Electric Kayoola Bus they had just completed assembling.
The highlight of the programme was its learning-by-doing approach. These young innovators didn’t just study electric mobility, they built it. Two Kayoola electric buses assembled with their contribution are now part of Uganda’s locally produced e-mobility fleet, supporting the country’s clean public transportation initiatives. Their capstone project, a driverless campus shuttle, combines automation, green energy, and AI-powered navigation to make student transportation within Makerere University smarter, safer, and cleaner.
“This programme showed me that engineering is not just theory,” said Gilbert, a Mechanical Engineering graduate. “It’s about solving real problems like climate change and urban transport.”
Speaking at an interview at the National E-Mobility Expo 2025, the Chief Executive Officer of Kiira Motors Corporation Eng. Paul Isaac Musasizi, expressed his deep appreciation for the partnership, noting that the company’s greatest need was not equipment or technology, but skilled human capital.
“This programme has come at the right time,” he said. “Our greatest need at Kiira Motors is not equipment or technology, it is skilled human capital. We have the capacity to produce 11 buses per day, but this has not yet been achieved because of low manpower. This skilling programme is a game changer. It will boost our workforce, and I can’t wait for the next cohort of students to join us in October.”
Aligned with Uganda’s National E-Mobility Strategy
This initiative aligns closely with Uganda’s National E-Mobility Strategy. It aims to transition public transport and motorcycles to electric by 2030 and achieve full electrification of passenger vehicle sales by 2040. Uganda’s National E-Mobility Strategy aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable transport by promoting local electric vehicle production, expanding charging infrastructure, creating green jobs, and reducing carbon emissions in line with the country’s climate and industrialization goals. The strategy envisions the creation of over 500,000 green jobs, 65 percent localization of the e-mobility value chain, and a reduction of transport emissions by more than 25 percent. By focusing on local electric vehicle manufacturing, battery technology, charging infrastructure, and human capital development, the programme directly contributes to these national priorities as per the strategy and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).
Recognized on the National Stage
At the National E-Mobility Expo, the students and the programme received high-profile recognition from Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, Uganda’s Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, as well as Mr. Ian King, UNDP Uganda’s Deputy Resident Representative.
Dr. Musenero described e-mobility as one of the key value chains for Uganda’s Fourth Industrial Revolution, noting that initiatives like this ensure the country builds its own capacity rather than importing solutions.
Mr. King emphasized that UNDP’s partnership with KMC and Mak-UniPod is about “building green jobs, strengthening local manufacturing ecosystems, and nurturing a generation of innovators who can position Uganda as a regional leader in e-mobility.”
Dr. Monica Musenero – Minister of Science Technology and Innovation engages on technology for development
Voices of the Young Innovators
The students have described the experience as life changing.
“I never imagined I’d work on an electric bus in Uganda,” said Conan Mutungi, an Electrical Engineering graduate. “Now I not only learned how to build one, but my work will help drive the future of sustainable transport in my own country.”
“The driverless campus shuttle is our dream project,” added Elsa Nankya, a Software engineering graduate. “It proves that Ugandan youth can design intelligent, green solutions for real urban challenges.”
Gift Amumpaire video of Gift Anthea Amumpaire a Mechanical Engineering graduate also provided her reflections through a short video which you can watch here. The reasons to smile are many.
What More Can Government Do for the E-Mobility Sector?
Looking ahead, the National E-Mobility Strategy identifies several areas for further government emphasis to accelerate growth in the sector. These include expanding public fleet electrification to prioritize e-buses for urban mass transit and rural connectivity, incentivizing local battery production through tax breaks and research investments, rolling out nationwide solar-powered charging networks, strengthening standards and regulations to ensure safety and interoperability, and introducing innovative financing mechanisms such as green bonds and concessional loans to de-risk private sector investment.
A student showcasing the Electric Kayoola Bus system
Conclusion: Driving the Future, Together
As the first cohort graduates, the E-Mobility Skilling Programme proves that with the right skills, policies, and partnerships, Uganda can lead Africa’s green industrial revolution. What started as a collaboration between UNDP, KMC, and Mak-UniPod has grown into a national movement aligning with Uganda’s Vision 2040, NDP IV, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Uganda is not waiting for the future to arrive, it is building it, one electric bus and one young innovator at a time.
By Hadijah Nabbale Head of Solutions Mapping and Nathan Tumuhamye Head of Exploration