Govt to fund Kiira car production
Innovation. Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde (2nd left) inspects a vehicle made under the Kiira EV Project in Kampala in 2014. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
Bright future. The project, anticipated to start in 2018, will also create jobs for hundreds of ordinary Ugandans.
Kampala.
Government will provide funding to the initial production and setting up of a factory for the Kiira EV car project, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ms Amelia Kyambadde, has announced.
The minister was on Thursday making a follow up on the progress of the Kiira EV venture at the production centre of the trial of the latest version, Kiira EV Smack, in Ntinda, Kampala.
The project released an electric car prototype in 2011.
“We are going to work out the budget requirements and discuss with the ministry of Finance to be able to allocate funds to the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) for the project,” Ms Kyambadde said.
She said the funds are for the car production and setting up of a multibillion plant on the 100 acres acquired in Jinja Industrial Park in May.
“Government may not be able to handle all, but will link the project to partners for more funding,” she said.
She highlighted some of the benefits the project is likely to bring.
“Once the factory starts operating, there will be employment, market for the products and it will encourage the youth to have innovative skills,” the minister said.
Prof Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, the project principal investigator, said the organisation will be able to produce internationally acceptable vehicles like Kiira EV Smack which was displayed as the flagship product for the plant.
He said they shall produce the car beginning 2018 with a blend of the conventional internal combustion or normal fuel engine, hybrid, combining both fuel and electric systems.
“When we talk about the vision of Kiira Motors Corporation, we speak of the improvement of the quality of an ordinary Ugandan’s life through employment of hundreds of people directly and indirectly,” he said.
Kiira Motors Corporation is a government company registered under Uganda Development Corporation.
First kiira ev
In 2011, under Makerere University, the team launched their first car. The two-seater Kiira EV weighs 1,000kg. While the ordinary car has a fuel combustion engine, Kiira EV is run by electric mortars and supported by batteries. It’s built to cruise at a speed of more than 100km per hour. The battery can last for a distance of 80km (50 miles) before recharging for 3-4 hours with electric power.
