In the spirit of Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU), why can’t Kiira Motors make the cars for our newly elected 527 MPs? The Ministry of Finance is currently required to raise UGX165 billion for the procurement of new vehicles for the 527 members of the 11th Parliament before the end of this month.
On average, each of the MPs will be given UGX 313 million. This includes cars for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the Parliamentary Commissioners.
First, was the Kiira EV, then came Kiira SMACK EV prototype cars and it seems Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) was not done with showing us more vehicles in different shapes and sizes. They also recently unveiled Electric Vehicle (EV) dubbed the Kayoola bus which is used to shuttle workers at the Entebbe International Airport to and from Kampala.
Kiira motors plans to make different kinds of cars including pickups, compact SUVs, sedans, light and medium duty trucks and buses and the first commercial 305 cars. In 2016 KMC promised to complete by 2018 assuming all the necessary infrastructure and human resources are put in available and this was not the case. Located in Jinja, KMC is planning to grow to 60,000 cars per year by 2039.
ALSO READ: Full specifications of the Kayoola EVS™ Buses that have hit the streets of Kampala
In Januray 2020, Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) announced that their Kayoola EVS™ (electric vehicles) buses are ready for primetime. By May, we saw these buses hit the streets of Kampala and ready to serve the citizens, there were some rumors that they we actually manufactured in China.
Kiira’s Challenges
The biggest challenge Kiira has is the current charging technology only allows to charge the batteries from 0 to 100% takes over 2 hours compared to the diesel-powered that take just minutes to refuel. And this also means they have to set up this charging infrastructure across the city and upcountry. During the Launch of the Kayoola EVS™ KMC promised one won’t be able to get stuck somewhere upcountry, they will not have to call someone in Kampala to help them out. And since the buses are brand new, they came with a warranty so no need for minor repairs.
Another challenge being faced by Kiira motors is the production capacity of the their vehicles. The company is working with Luwero Industries Limited to produce eight buses per month before they can complete their mega Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja.
Government of Uganda, acting through the Uganda Investment Authority, allocated 100 acres for the establishment of the Kiira Vehicle Plant, located at the Jinja Industrial and Business Park, Plot No. 701, Block 2 Kagogwa Village, Mawoito Parish, Kakira Town Council, Jinja District.
The Kiira Vehicle Plant Site that will produce cars such as the Kayoola EVS™ was handed over to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) on 18th January 2019, who deployed security and commenced work on 11th February 2019. Construction is expected to take two and a half (2.5) Years with completion slated for June 2021. So this means it would be impossible for them to get the cars ready for the 527 MPs in parliament. Besides would the MPs be willing to use them?
, why can't Kiira Motors make the cars for our newly elected 527 MPs? The Ministry of Finance){kind=link}