Born in Kigali. Built for Africa.
ZYRA started with a simple observation: the boda boda riders powering East Africa's cities were spending half their earnings on imported petrol. We set out to change that — one solar-powered swap station at a time.
A problem we couldn't ignore
In 2022, our founders spent six months riding alongside boda boda operators in Kigali — tracking their routes, their costs, and their aspirations. The picture was stark: a rider earning RWF 15,000 a day was spending RWF 7,000 on petrol. The motorcycle they rode wasn't theirs. The fuel they burned was imported. The emissions they produced were someone else's problem.
ZYRA was founded to flip that equation. Solar energy is abundant in Rwanda. The technology for electric motorcycles is proven. The missing piece was infrastructure — a dense, reliable network of swap stations that made going electric as easy as filling a tank. That's what we built.
2022
Founded in Kigali
"To make zero-emission transport the default choice for every rider, every city, and every government across Africa."
Our values
Rider-first
Every decision we make starts with one question: does this make life better for the riders who depend on us?
Radical transparency
We publish our impact data, our financials, and our mistakes. Accountability is not optional.
Infrastructure thinking
We build for decades, not quarters. Swap stations, battery systems, and partnerships are designed to last.
Pan-African ambition
Rwanda is the proof of concept. East Africa is the market. The continent is the vision.
The people building ZYRA
Amara Nkosi
Co-founder & CEO
Former head of sustainable transport at the Rwanda Development Board. 12 years building infrastructure across East and Southern Africa.
David Ochieng
Co-founder & CTO
Ex-Tesla Powerwall engineering lead. Built battery management systems deployed across three continents before returning to Nairobi to work on African energy problems.
Claudette Uwimana
Chief Operations Officer
Grew up in Kigali, studied logistics at Makerere. Spent a decade running last-mile delivery networks before joining ZYRA to build the swap station rollout.
James Kariuki
Head of Partnerships
Former DFI advisor with deep relationships across African development finance. Leads ZYRA's government and investor relations across the region.
Solange Ingabire
Head of Rider Experience
Started as a boda boda rider herself. Now leads the team responsible for onboarding, training, and the lease-to-own programme.
Kwame Asante
Head of Engineering
Mechanical and electrical engineer with a background in off-grid solar systems. Designed ZYRA's first swap station prototype in a Kigali workshop in 2023.
Kigali
Our home. Our proof.
The world's best proving ground for clean mobility
#1
Ease of doing business in Africa
Rwanda's regulatory environment is the most business-friendly on the continent — fast licensing, clear EV policy, and a government that moves.
2035
National EV mandate
The Rwandan government has committed to a fully electric motorcycle fleet by 2035. ZYRA is the named execution partner for that transition.
300+
Days of sunshine per year
Rwanda's equatorial climate makes solar the cheapest and most reliable energy source — perfect for powering a swap station network.
250K
Registered boda bodas
Kigali alone has 250,000 registered motorcycle taxis — the densest urban fleet in East Africa and ZYRA's immediate addressable market.
Kigali is the blueprint. The continent is the canvas.
By 2027, ZYRA will operate in Nairobi and Kampala. By 2030, we will be the infrastructure backbone for electric mobility in five East African cities. The technology is proven. The model is replicable. The demand is enormous.
Founded
ZYRA incorporated in Kigali. First swap station prototype built and tested.
Pilot launch
50 riders onboarded. 3 swap stations live. First impact data published.
Scale in Kigali
1,200 active riders. 12 swap stations. Series A fundraise opened.
East Africa expansion
Nairobi and Kampala launches. 10,000 riders. 100 swap stations.
Pan-African platform
5 cities. 50,000 riders. The continent's leading clean mobility infrastructure operator.
Ready to be part of the story?
Whether you want to ride with us, invest in us, or partner with us — we'd love to hear from you.