Kenyan engineering students Caroline Mutheu and Esther Leja have won the EV Explorers Rhino Charge 2026 Innovation Challenge in Kenya to secure tuition support and industry placements.

Organisers said the winners study at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and will receive support aimed at building electric mobility skills.

KCB Foundation Managing Director Mendi Njonjo said the scholarships would support Kenya’s labour needs in the green economy.

At the awards ceremony Njonjo said: “At KCB Foundation, we are helping shape the workforce required for Kenya’s green transition.”

“Scholarships like these are an important tool for connecting education to applied learning, industry exposure and pathways into employment,” Njonjo said.

According to the press release, each winner will receive a partial scholarship covering up to 75 per cent of their remaining tuition fees.

The package includes a three-month paid internship at Silent Savannah and attendance at the 2027 Rhino Charge as technical observers alongside the EV Explorers crew.

The innovation challenge formed part of Rhino Charge 2026, Kenya’s off-road motorsport fundraiser for conservation.

Organisers said the e-mobility component tested electric technology beyond typical urban use cases and connected students to applied engineering problems in demanding terrain.

The initiative matters to Kenya’s business sector because it connects corporate foundations and motorsport platforms to technical skills for the emerging e-mobility industry.

The release linked the competition to Kenya’s National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy and an emerging e-mobility policy framework covering infrastructure, investment and skills development.

It said sector growth increased demand for skills in electrical engineering, battery systems, vehicle design, electronics, energy management and charging infrastructure.

EV Explorers team leader Richard Kiplagat is also a Partner at Africa Practice.

Kiplagat said the programme was designed to translate real-world engineering experience into training opportunities.

“Our mission with EV Explorers is to demonstrate that African engineering can deliver world-class e-mobility solutions in even the most extreme conditions,” Kiplagat said.

He said bringing the winners into the programme would help transfer data and experience to the students.

He said they were “talented young Kenyan women who will help shape the future of sustainable transport.”

The release presented EV Explorers’ participation in the Rhino Charge as a practical test case for off-grid electric mobility.

It said the team participated in the 37th Rhino Charge at Ngilai in Samburu County in May 2026.

According to the release, the team’s vehicle became the first electric vehicle to complete the event.

The vehicle was “designed, fabricated and assembled in Kenya” according to the release.

It completed the course using a 62-kWh battery system supported by an off-grid solar charging solution.

EV Explorers Innovation Challenge Lead Andrew Waititu said the students’ internship would involve hands-on work using vehicle performance data.

“Developing vehicles capable of operating in rough, off-grid terrain requires specialized knowledge of battery thermal management, structural durability and solar integration,” Waititu said.

He said the scholars would use “performance telemetry datasets” during their placement at Silent Savannah.

The work would support chassis, wiring and energy improvements for the team’s 2027 entry.

Organisers also said Rhino Charge served a conservation financing role beyond its mobility activities.

The press release said the 2026 event raised Ksh365 million for conservation of Kenya’s mountain ecosystems.

It said Rhino Charge had raised more than Ksh2.6 billion since its inception.

The release also attributed the construction of about 650 kilometres of electric fencing to Rhino Ark.

It said the fencing aimed to protect forest ecosystems and reduce human-wildlife conflict affecting more than 80,000 households.

The initiative’s focus on battery, power electronics and charging skills could support Kenya’s local assembly and maintenance businesses.

Organisers said Mutheu and Leja were expected to attend as technical observers as EV Explorers prepared its next entry.

The 2027 Rhino Charge is scheduled for 29 May 2027.

KCB Foundation and CFAO Mobility Kenya have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on skills development and enterprise support for young people in Kenya’s automotive and emerging e-mobility segment.

The agreement, signed on July 21, 2026 at CFAO offices on Lusaka Road in Nairobi, will support training for 200 young people—100 each from KCB Foundation and CFAO Mobility Kenya—through technical and vocational programmes at the Toyota Kenya Academy beginning in January 2027, according to a statement issued by the partners.

The initiative will combine technical training with entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion initiatives and market access opportunities, as the organisations seek to link skills development with employment and enterprise creation in the mobility sector.

The partnership comes as Kenya’s transport and logistics ecosystem expands and the country records rising interest in electric mobility solutions, including electric motorcycles and vehicles, which are creating demand for new technical skills across maintenance, diagnostics and fleet operations. For lenders and corporate players, the shift has also opened opportunities to structure financing products and supply-chain linkages for small businesses servicing mobility value chains.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, KCB Foundation Managing Director Mendi Njonjo said the partnership is intended to align training with changing labour market needs. “The future of work is changing rapidly, and partnerships such as this enable us to equip young people with practical, industry-relevant skills that respond to market needs,” Njonjo said. She added: “By combining technical training with entrepreneurship development, financial literacy, access to finance and market linkages, we are creating a pathway for young people and women to build sustainable businesses and secure meaningful employment within the mobility sector.”

Under the MoU, the organisations said they will jointly deliver technical and automotive training, including specialised programmes in electric mobility. They also plan to support youth- and women-owned enterprises operating within the mobility value chain through business incubation, mentorship and financial literacy programmes.

The partners said qualifying entrepreneurs will be considered for tailored asset financing solutions for vehicles, motorcycles and equipment. They will also have opportunities to connect with Toyota and CFAO’s supply chain ecosystem, “subject to applicable procurement and compliance requirements,” the statement said.

CFAO Kenya Managing Director Akira Wada said the collaboration targets talent development and stronger industry linkages. “As the mobility sector continues to evolve, we have a responsibility to prepare young people with the technical competencies required for the future,” Wada said. “Through this partnership, we are investing in talent development, supporting innovation in e-mobility and creating stronger connections between training, industry and employment.”

For Kenya’s labour market, the programme signals a growing role for private-sector-led training pipelines that connect technical academies with industry. If implemented as outlined, the collaboration could expand the pool of technicians and entrepreneurs able to participate in automotive services and the e-mobility ecosystem, while also increasing demand for structured financing products tied to productive assets such as motorcycles, vehicles and workshop equipment.

The next milestone is the start of training at the Toyota Kenya Academy in January 2027. The partners have not disclosed the financial value of the programme, selection criteria, or how the participants will be distributed across courses, but said the programme will focus on employability and enterprise development within Kenya’s mobility sector.

BYD by CFAO Mobility Kenya has delivered a fleet of five plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to Avenue Lease & Rentals E.A for leasing to SBM Bank Kenya, in what the companies described as an early corporate deployment of the models in the local market. The handover took place in Nairobi on April 2, 2026, according to a joint statement.

The delivery includes one BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid pickup and four BYD Sealion 6 plug-in hybrid SUVs. BYD by CFAO Mobility Kenya said the fleet represents “the first significant corporate fleet deployment” of these specific models in Kenya, reflecting interest in hybrid options for fleet operations.

The transaction links three players in the emerging e-mobility ecosystem: vehicle distribution by BYD via CFAO Mobility, leasing by Avenue Lease & Rentals E.A, and corporate adoption by SBM Bank Kenya. Leasing has increasingly been positioned by fleet operators as a way to access new vehicle technologies while reducing upfront capital requirements.

Nicolas Ruffier des Aimes, General Manager at BYD by CFAO Mobility Kenya, said the partnership signals a shift in how organisations approach cleaner mobility. “We are proud to see leading institutions like SBM Bank and Avenue Lease & Rentals E.A embrace the future of the automotive industry,” he said during the handover ceremony. He added: “We look forward to more opportunities to make sustainability a daily endeavor of our partners.”

SBM Bank Kenya said the move aligns with its internal sustainability goals, particularly around emissions reductions from operations and logistics. “We are excited to take this significant step towards achieving our sustainability goals. Our commitment to reducing direct emissions is a dedication to creating positive environmental change,” said Bhartesh Shah, Chief Executive Officer of SBM Bank Kenya. He added that adopting hybrid technology would help the lender “modernise our logistics while significantly cutting down our CO2 emissions.”

For Avenue Lease & Rentals E.A, the deal positions the firm within a developing market for EV and hybrid leasing services in Kenya. The company’s Chief Operating Officer said the partnership would allow customers to shift to cleaner vehicles without immediate large capital outlays. “Our decision to actively enter the electric vehicle leasing market through our partnership with CFAO Mobility reflects both our commitment to environmental stewardship and the evolving needs of our clients,” the COO said. “Leasing EVs allows organizations to transition to clean transportation solutions without the heavy upfront capital requirements traditionally associated with fleet replacement.”

The COO also framed plug-in hybrids as a transitional technology for organisations that may not yet be ready to go fully electric due to infrastructure or operational constraints. “Leasing plug-in hybrid vehicles allows organizations like SBM Bank Kenya to lower emissions today, while gradually transitioning toward full electric mobility,” the COO said, citing “reduced fuel consumption, lower CO2 output, and improved operational efficiency” as expected outcomes.

The announcement comes as Kenya’s transport and energy stakeholders evaluate the pace of electrification amid infrastructure build-out, vehicle availability and total cost-of-ownership considerations. The statement referenced Kenya’s national climate action plan target of a 32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, positioning corporate fleet decisions as part of the broader transition to lower-emission transport.

Looking ahead, Avenue Lease & Rentals E.A said the partnership could expand into related services that support fleet electrification. “This collaboration sets the stage for future EV fleet transactions, expanded adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the development of supporting services such as charging solutions, fleet management, and lifecycle optimisation,” the COO said.