The Africa Climate Summit (ACS) 2023 has taken center stage, both in headlines and online conversations, as Kenyans react to government initiatives aimed at aligning with the global climate action movement.
From Sunday through to Tuesday, President William Ruto has been driving himself around town, arriving at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in a tiny electric car, eliciting mixed reactions from Kenyans who had everything to say about the stunt – some were disappointed that he did not keep left, while others noted that he did not use indicators when turning.
On Monday morning, Nairobians were shocked to see sleek electric buses rolling through town, a striking difference from the normally-dull and rundown buses which ply city routes regularly.
These buses, branded as ‘Prestige,’ ‘Sasa Pay,’ and ‘Metro Trans,’ were observed cruising around town without passengers. It was a deliberate move by the government to spread awareness of climate action and promote low-carbon, efficient transportation systems.
Kenyans on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), displayed their creative side in response to these developments. Many humorously compared the sudden appearance of electric buses during the ACS week to the African tradition of bringing out rarely-used cutlery and dishes when guests visit.
X user Hazim Fareed kicked off the trolling, writing, ‘Kusafisha rada wageni wakiwa area!’
Other Kenyans joined in the fun comparing the government’s move to flood the city with electric buses (during the week when Nairobi was choking with foreign dignitaries) to our traditional African mothers’ decision to unleash rarely-used cutlery, plates and cups whenever visitors were around.
One user @sirstevenson said, “Reminds me of vyombo za wageni back home!”
Other Kenyans genuinely wondered whether they were still in the same Nairobi, with one asking, “Bado tuko Kenya kweli? Ama tumehama na hatujui?”
In more developed nations, electric buses are the order of the day. As of 2019 for example, 99% of all battery electric buses in the world had been deployed in mainland China, with more than 421,000 buses on the road, which is 17% of China’s total bus fleet.
