Massai Mara: Electric vehicles are beginning to change how some conservation teams and safari operators work in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, with solar powered motorcycles and safari vehicles offering a quieter alternative to petrol and diesel transport.
One of the people testing the technology is Joshua Kijape, a ranger with Mara Siana who is attached to Entumoto Safari Camp. For about a year, Kijape has been using an electric motorcycle to patrol the grasslands.
The motorcycle produces little engine noise, allowing him to move through the reserve more quietly. Kijape says this helps him get closer to wildlife without disturbing the animals and can also help when following suspected poachers because they may not hear him approaching.
The motorcycle is part of a wider effort to introduce electric mobility into one of Africa’s best known wildlife areas. The aim is to reduce the use of petrol, lower operating and maintenance costs and limit noise in an environment where wildlife and tourism depend heavily on the natural surroundings.
The Nairobi based company ROAM, which makes the motorcycle, says its Roam Air can travel about 160 kilometres on a charge when using two batteries. However, longer patrols in remote areas still require reliable access to electricity.
ROAM has said solar powered charging stations can provide a solution. The company says the motorcycles can be charged using relatively small solar and battery systems, reducing the need to transport petrol into remote conservation areas.
The move is not limited to motorcycles. Emboo Camp in the Maasai Mara has been using electric safari vehicles since 2019. Its vehicles are charged using solar power, according to the camp’s current operator, Asilia Africa.
Loic Amado, co founder and co director of Emboo, has described the camp as a testing ground for combining solar energy, electric vehicles and other environmental technologies. Through EERA LAB, he says the model now supports 25 lodges across East Africa with solar power, wastewater treatment and electric vehicle conversions.
Asilia has also expanded the use of electric safari vehicles. However, electric vehicles remain a small part of the wider safari transport system, and most vehicles used across the industry still rely on conventional fuel.
The environmental benefits are also not completely straightforward. Electric vehicles remove exhaust emissions from the vehicle itself and can operate much more quietly than diesel vehicles. But researchers and conservation specialists are also examining whether very quiet vehicles can sometimes surprise animals that would normally hear a conventional engine approaching.
This means the effect on wildlife cannot simply be described as positive in every situation. Early observations suggest quieter vehicles can allow some animals to remain undisturbed for longer, but the long term effects of changing the sound environment around wildlife are still being studied.
The electric vehicle experiment in the Maasai Mara is also part of a much larger change taking place across Kenya.
Kenya launched its National Electric Mobility Policy in February 2026. The policy covers different forms of transport and is intended to encourage electric vehicle adoption, charging infrastructure, local manufacturing and technical skills.
The government has also moved from policy development towards implementation. In July, the State Department for Transport brought together government agencies, private companies, development partners and other stakeholders to work on practical measures for the policy.
In August, the State Department for Transport signed a cooperation agreement with the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. The agreement includes support for developing an Electric Mobility Bill and regulations, setting transition targets, reviewing incentives and encouraging investment in vehicle manufacturing, assembly and charging infrastructure.
Kenya’s wider electric mobility market is also growing. Recent industry reporting has shown increased use and investment in electric motorcycles, particularly for commercial transport. This gives conservation operators access to technology that is developing beyond the tourism sector.
For the Maasai Mara, however, the transition is still at an early stage. Charging infrastructure remains a challenge, especially for long ranger patrols and operations far from established facilities. The cost of converting conventional safari vehicles to electric power can also be significant.
Amado has estimated that converting a conventional safari vehicle can cost between $35,000 and $45,000, with savings on fuel and maintenance potentially allowing the investment to be recovered in about two and a half to three years. Those figures are estimates from the operator and should not be treated as a guarantee for every safari business.
There is also a broader ambition behind the work. Amado has said his goal is to make the Maasai Mara net zero by 2035. That is an ambition from the sustainability operation rather than an established Kenyan government target.
For rangers such as Kijape, the value of the technology is more immediate. An electric motorcycle gives them another way to move through the conservancy while reducing engine noise and dependence on petrol.
The Maasai Mara has therefore become an important testing ground for electric mobility in conservation. The technology is not yet widespread, and many practical questions remain. But the growing use of electric motorcycles, solar charging and electric safari vehicles shows that Kenya’s shift towards cleaner transport is beginning to reach even its remote wildlife landscapes.