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Electric motorcycle company Spiro and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) have launched a Women in E-Mobility programme in Rwanda that will expand to Kenya, aiming to help 5,000 women across Africa become professional electric boda boda riders and business owners by 2030, The Star reported on October 30, 2026. Spiro electric motorcycle operations in Kenya already include assembly and a battery-swapping network.
What the programme offers
- Training: motorcycle riding and road safety, financial literacy, digital skills and entrepreneurship.
- Financing: lease-to-own arrangements for Spiro electric motorcycles, with access to its battery-swapping stations.
- Customers: links to ride-hailing, delivery and logistics platforms.
- Support: ongoing follow-up on income and business performance.
The first group of 50 women is training in Rwanda, in a pilot targeting 500 participants. The partners will review results before extending the programme to other countries where Spiro operates between 2027 and 2030. No Kenyan start date has been set.
Why women, and why now
Women make up just 4% of transport workers in Rwanda, yet a 2025 study in Kigali found that 47.7% of women surveyed would consider becoming motorcycle taxi riders. The main barriers are capital, skills, networks and customers. “For women entrepreneurs, having access to a motorcycle is only the first step. Building a successful business also requires skills, financing, customers and ongoing support,” said ESP CEO Eric Kacou.
Spiro Group CEO Anant Badjatya said electric mobility “is creating new economic opportunities across Africa, and we want more women to be part of this transformation”.
Spiro in numbers
- Operations in seven African countries.
- More than 156,000 electric motorcycles.
- Over 2,500 battery-swapping stations.
- More than 57 million battery swaps and 3.1 billion kilometres covered.
The partners are seeking development finance institutions, impact investors, governments and companies to fund the expansion.
What it means for Kenya’s boda boda sector
Kenya had about 33,800 registered electric vehicles at the end of 2025, 95% of them motorcycles, according to the E-Mobility Association. Lower running costs are the main draw: riders swap batteries instead of buying petrol, which has become more expensive this year. Electric motorcycles also benefit from tax relief; see our explainer on e-mobility tax relief. The wider push for cleaner, more efficient transport is covered in our report on calls for fuel efficiency standards for imported vehicles.
For women in Kenya who want to start a transport or delivery business, the programme could lower the entry cost if it arrives on similar terms. Until then, lease-to-own deals from e-motorcycle firms and saccos are the main route; compare repayments carefully, including battery-swap costs, insurance and the total paid over the lease. Women running small businesses alongside riding, such as an M-Pesa shop, can combine income streams.
FAQ
When will the Spiro women’s programme come to Kenya?
Expansion to other Spiro markets, including Kenya, is planned between 2027 and 2030, after the Rwanda pilot.
How many women does the programme aim to support?
5,000 by 2030, starting with 500 in the Rwanda pilot.
How do participants get motorcycles?
Through lease-to-own financing for Spiro electric motorcycles, with access to battery swapping.
Updated October 31, 2026.
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