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BasiGo Electric Bus Financing: Pay-As-You-Drive Explained

How BasiGo electric matatu financing works in Kenya: full lease or battery lease, the pay-as-you-drive fee, what is included, and the questions to ask before you sign.

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by Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 7 min read Updated 19 October 2026Verified 19 Oct 2026

What BasiGo is

BasiGo sells and leases electric buses in Kenya and runs a DC fast-charging network for them in Nairobi. Its Kenyan models are listed as the KL-9, MA3e and Jani. Its homepage shows 114 buses in operation, while a MIT Technology Review piece from 6 October 2026 put the number above 150.

The two ways to pay

Full electric bus leaseBattery lease
Up frontA low security depositBuy the bus without the battery, priced similar to a diesel bus
OngoingPay-as-you-drive fee per kmBattery lease fee per km
OwnershipNot stated on BasiGo's siteYou own the bus; BasiGo owns the battery

BasiGo says the deposit is lower than for a diesel bus and that owners break even on the deposit in less than 12 months. It publishes no shilling amounts.

Reported figures, with dates

  • 2022 launch coverage: about KSh 5 million plus KSh 20 per km.
  • CleanTechnica, July 2025: about KSh 1 million deposit and KSh 70 per km on a full lease, or about KSh 44 per km for the battery only.
  • MIT Technology Review, 6 October 2026: a deposit about 40 percent below a diesel bus down payment.

These figures conflict and change. Use them to frame the conversation, not to plan a budget.

What the fee covers

  • Charging at BasiGo depots
  • Nightly inspection and cleaning
  • Maintenance at 15,000 km intervals
  • Roadside assistance and comprehensive insurance
  • Monitoring in the pay-as-you-drive app
  • A 90 percent monthly uptime guarantee

Questions to ask BasiGo

  1. What is the per-km fee for my model, and can it change during the lease?
  2. Is there a minimum monthly kilometre charge?
  3. Who owns the bus at the end of a full lease?
  4. What happens if a payment is late? The published terms cover only the app, not the lease.
  5. What does the uptime guarantee pay me if the bus is off the road?

BasiGo contact: info@basi-go.com, 0718 966 591.

Sources, read 19 October 2026

  1. BasiGo homepage, pricing, pay-as-you-drive, charging and service, and terms pages, basi-go.com.
  2. CBK Directory of Digital Credit Providers, 29 September 2026.
  3. Secondary: CleanTechnica, July 2025; MIT Technology Review, 6 October 2026; 2022 launch coverage.

FAQ

How does BasiGo pay-as-you-drive work?

You pay a deposit and then a fee per kilometre driven, instead of buying fuel. BasiGo offers two models: a full electric bus lease (low security deposit plus a pay-as-you-drive fee), or a battery lease where you buy the bus without the battery for a price similar to a diesel bus and lease only the battery per kilometre.

How much is a BasiGo bus?

BasiGo does not publish prices. News reports have quoted different figures over time, for example a KSh 1 million deposit and about KSh 70 per km on a full lease, or about KSh 44 per km for the battery alone (CleanTechnica, July 2025). Treat these as dated reports and get a written quote.

What does the fee include?

BasiGo lists charging at its depots, nightly inspection and cleaning, maintenance every 15,000 km, roadside assistance, comprehensive insurance, monitoring through its app, and a 90 percent monthly uptime guarantee.

Is BasiGo licensed by CBK?

BasiGo is not on the CBK Digital Credit Providers directory dated 29 September 2026. Its product is a lease rather than a digital loan. Read the lease agreement carefully, because BasiGo does not publish its lease terms on its site.

Further reading

Curated external sources we cite. Open in a new tab.