Proparco—the private-sector arm of France’s AFD Group—announced on 26 November that it has taken an undisclosed equity stake in Nairobi-based BasiGo. The deal is part of AFD’s pledge to commit roughly €1 billion per year to low-carbon transport worldwide.
BasiGo assembles electric buses locally and offers operators a battery-as-a-service model that lowers upfront capex by 15–20 %. The French funding will help the start-up scale from 100 to 1,000 buses across Kenya and Rwanda by 2027, including new charging depots and local assembly lines.
![French Development Bank Proparco Backs Kenyan E-Bus Start-Up BasiGo in €1 Billion Mobility Push]()
Why France-based mobility managers should care. • Many multinational firms run commuter shuttles in Nairobi’s traffic-clogged business districts; cleaner buses offer CSR wins and potential exemptions from future congestion fees. • Proparco’s involvement raises the probability that French expatriates and business travellers will have access to more reliable, lower-emission public transport when working in East Africa.
Strategic context. The investment aligns with President Macron’s ‘Choose Africa’ initiative and underscores France’s bid to position itself as a financier—not just a regulator—of global urban-mobility transitions. It also opens the door for French rolling-stock suppliers and charging-infrastructure firms to enter East-African markets.
Outlook. Proparco will monitor vehicle-uptime and battery-degradation data over 18 months. If key performance indicators are met, a follow-on tranche could extend the fleet to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, creating further mobility options for French companies operating in West Africa.
BasiGo assembles electric buses locally and offers operators a battery-as-a-service model that lowers upfront capex by 15–20 %. The French funding will help the start-up scale from 100 to 1,000 buses across Kenya and Rwanda by 2027, including new charging depots and local assembly lines.
Why France-based mobility managers should care. • Many multinational firms run commuter shuttles in Nairobi’s traffic-clogged business districts; cleaner buses offer CSR wins and potential exemptions from future congestion fees. • Proparco’s involvement raises the probability that French expatriates and business travellers will have access to more reliable, lower-emission public transport when working in East Africa.
Strategic context. The investment aligns with President Macron’s ‘Choose Africa’ initiative and underscores France’s bid to position itself as a financier—not just a regulator—of global urban-mobility transitions. It also opens the door for French rolling-stock suppliers and charging-infrastructure firms to enter East-African markets.
Outlook. Proparco will monitor vehicle-uptime and battery-degradation data over 18 months. If key performance indicators are met, a follow-on tranche could extend the fleet to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, creating further mobility options for French companies operating in West Africa.
