Museveni and Eswatini officials discuss Uganda electric bus deal

KAMPALA – President Museveni, on May 3, received a special message from the King of Eswatini, His Majesty, Mswati III.

The message was delivered by Prince Lindani Nkosi of Eswatini during a parallel meeting of African parliamentarians with the President at State House in Entebbe, his office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Prince Nkosi was accompanied to the meeting by Mr. Quillino Bamwine, Consular General of the Kingdom of Eswatini in Kampala and the Hon. Sarah Opendi, president of the Second African Interparliamentary Conference that ended on May 3 in Kampala.

The Prince delivered a special message from the King, but sources say the meeting also discussed the South African nation’s willingness to work with Uganda on the production and marketing of electric buses, produced by the government-owned Kiira Motors Corporation.

The Prince had previously visited the Kingdom’s Consular Offices in Serena, where he signed the official book.
Previously, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Eswatini to the African Union had written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda stating that the Prime Minister of Eswatini, HE Russel Mmiso Dlamini, had taken note of President Museveni’s speech during the NAM and G77+ China. Summits in Kampala claim Uganda is making electric buses.

“In accordance with the statement, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini wishes to express its interest in seeing how the two governments can benefit from this project,” the ambassador wrote on February 21, 2024.

Consequently, the Eswatini government wants to create a center to market the buses in the SADC region and believes that the country has the advantage of being very close to the port of Maputo, which makes it easier to ship the product.

Ugandan-owned Kiira Motors Corporation manufactures the “Kayoola EVS”, an all-electric low-floor city bus designed for urban mass transportation. According to the information contained on the company’s website, the bus has a capacity for 90 passengers and a range of up to 300 kilometers with a full load, allowing it to cope with daily work cycles.

Consequently, the Kayoola EVS coach is available in both electric and diesel versions. The diesel coach is powered by a 6-cylinder turbocharged intercooled Cummins engine, which provides more than 375 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 140 kilometers per hour.

During the meeting with Prince Nkosi at the weekend, President Museveni and Consular General Bamwine also discussed the taxes imposed on alcoholic beverage manufacturers, which have increased prices and killed business, and driven investors locals to move their businesses to Tanzania and Kenya. , when the tax regime is favorable.

According to Cabinet sources, President Museveni said he was surprised by such fiscal policy and ordered during Monday’s Cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja should take up the matter with Mr Bamwine, the Consular General of Eswatini in Kampala, to look for a solution.

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