Fares will start from as low as UGX 800 for adults and UGX 400 for students, depending on the distance travelled
E-Bus Xpress operations have been launched in Kira Municipality, with pomp marking a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards a modern, efficient, safe, accessible and sustainable public transport system in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) .
At a colourful event presided over by the Minister of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs , Hajjat Minsa Kabanda , E- Bus Xpress- (EBX) a subsidiary of Uganda’s green mobility industry captains Kiira Motors Corporation , (KMC) has deployed an additional 21 new Kayoola electric buses which were flagged-off for the new- modern – green mobility service that will connect growing residential communities to the Ntinda hub and Kampala, with three dedicated feeder routes which will include ; Ntinda – Najjera – Kira – Kitukutwe – Kiwologoma – Nakwero; Ntinda – Naalya – Kyaliwajjala – Namugongo – Sonde and Ntinda – Kisasi – Kyanja – Kungu.
Each route will have 5 buses connecting passengers with scheduled services, air conditioned buses, onboard Wi-Fi, modern safety features and cashless payments.
Others who joined Minister Kabanda to witness the historic moment were her colleague, the Minister of Science Technology and Innovations (STI) Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki. the Kiira Municipality Mayor , Mr. Allan Bulamu , the Wakiso LCV Chairman Mr. Ian Kyeyune , the E-Bus Xpress Board of Governors Chairman ,Dr. Emmanuel Freddie Mugunga, the E-Bus Xpress, Managing Director (MD) Eng. Ian Jon Kavuma , Mr. Ibrahim Senyonga ,the General Manager for Enterprise Business United (EBU) at MTN –Uganda, Eng JacobEng. Jacob Byamukama ,the Deputy Director for Roads Management (and Deputy Director of Transport and Roads Management) at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and Mr. Isaac Musasizi the CEO Kiira Motors Corporation .
Minister Kabanda said the new green mobility services which started in Jinja City and are now being rolled out in the Capital City Kampala, demonstrates the confidence that the Uganda Government is placing in electric mobility as part of the future of urban transportation.
“For the people of Kira, today’s launch means more than additional buses on the road. It means greater connectivity, more reliable mobility and a cleaner and more dignified public transport experience. What we are witnessing today has implications for Kampala, Kira and Uganda as a whole.
Our cities are growing, our population is increasing, and the demand for mobility is expanding. We must therefore, build a transport system that is not only capable of moving people, but one that supports economic activity, protects the environment and improves the quality of life of our citizens,” Minister Kabanda told a big excited audience.
The minister noted that Kiira Motors Corporation represents Uganda’s ambition to build a strong domestic automotive industry and demonstrates that we can manufacture modern, high-quality and environmentally responsible vehicles here at home.
E-Bus Xpress Kiira Ltd, on the other hand, Kabanda said, is taking that locally manufactured technology into our communities and putting it to work in addressing one of the country’s – most pressing urban challenges – public transportation.
“This is the connection between manufacturing and service delivery, between innovation and practical solutions, and between the vision of industrialisation and the everyday lives of Ugandans,” she stated.
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The significance of the E-Bus Xpress initiative that will cover all the major cities in Uganda, goes beyond the buses themselves.
It is about creating employment and developing skills. It is about supporting local value chains. It is about embracing digital technology through cashless payments, connectivity and telematics. It is about improving safety and the passenger experience. Most importantly, it is about demonstrating that Uganda can develop solutions to its own challenges using its own people, institutions and industries.
Kabanda said the green mobility service is consistent with the national development priorities and the country’s commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth. It is also aligned with the vision for a modern, integrated and efficient transport system for the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, as envisaged under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Multi-Modal Urban Transport Master Plan.
This particular vision seeks to improve public transport across Kampala and the surrounding municipalities, providing more efficient mobility, reducing congestion and supporting the transformation of Kampala into a modern and smart city.
The E-Bus Xpress ,MD, Eng. Kavuma ,said the expanded green mobility service will offer passengers in Kiira Municipality scheduled, professional operations; clean, air-conditioned buses fitted with modern comfort, connectivity and safety features; and a safer, more dignified and affordable travel experience.
Kavuma explained that because the E-bus Xpress fleet is fully electric, every journey is completed with zero tailpipe emissions, contributing directly to cleaner air and healthier communities across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
He said that the service is also built around convenience and transparency in how passengers pay their fares.
“Our cashless payment ecosystem includes Mobile Money, through MTN MoMo and Airtel Money merchant and USSD codes, for the everyday mobile-money user; a reusable Transport Card for corporate clients and the general public, offering the shortest payment journey; a Smart Wristband designed specifically for primary and secondary school pupils, powered by an integrated multi- network platform on *272*80#; and the EBX Connect App, giving smartphone users on both Android and iOS convenient access to fare payment and related services,” Kavuma added .
The Mayor of Kira municipality , Allan Bulamu ,welcomed the E-mobility solutions being introduced by E-bus – noting that Uganda needs to continuously think about the future of public transport systems which should be clean , smart , timely and sustainable .
“Our country should not be left behind by the rest of the world in adopting clean mobility technologies . We need electric buses and trains for our cities to reduce pollution and the time people spend traveling which will ultimately improve the quality of life and increase productivity of people in the cities and urban centers,” Bulamu argued.
The Mayor called for the integration of transport networks across the Kampala Metropolitan Area so that E-Bus Express services can connect with rail, road and other modes of transport to create a seamless passenger transport system.
He further called for the implementation of plans to provide dedicated bus lanes, designated stages, passenger shelters and other facilities, while ensuring that the infrastructure is safe and accessible to the public.
Bulamu cautioned against excluding existing taxi operators from the new transport developments, urging authorities to ensure that they are incorporated into the evolving public transport system.
Eng. Jacob Byamukama, the Deputy Director of Transport and Roads Management at KCCA, said the electric buses would improve the passenger travel experience while contributing to the reduction of traffic congestion in the city.
However, he acknowledged that operating a bus system in the centre of Kampala would be challenging because the city currently has no dedicated bus lanes, forcing buses to compete for road space with other forms of traffic.
E-Bus Express Board Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Freddie Mugunga urged the Minister for Kampala and other authorities to allocate additional routes to the company, saying it is ready to deploy 100 buses across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area before the end of the year.
He said the company ultimately plans to deploy up to 1,000 electric buses across major cities in Uganda by 2030.
Speaking at the launch of the Kira Municipality routes, Ibrahim Senyonga, General Manager of the Enterprise Business Unit (EBU) at MTN Uganda, said MTN would provide the cashless payment system, allowing passengers to pay their fares without carrying physical cash.
He added that MTN had also deployed internet services on the buses and would work to ensure uninterrupted connectivity as much as possible.
The launch of the new routes follows what the company describes as a successful pilot and rollout project in the Jinja area, which began in November 2024.
The service introduced daily electric bus transport along the Jinja–Iganga and Jinja–Nakibizi corridors using a fully cashless payment system.
According to the company, the service initially transported about 300,000 passengers during the early stages of the rollout and has since carried about 3.5 million passengers, demonstrating strong commuter demand despite operating a fleet of only seven buses.
The event was also attended by two other E-Bus Xpress board members, Thatcher Nakimuli Mpanga and Moses Witta Mbubi.
