In 2010, I made a quiet decision that would shape the next chapter of my life. I moved away from the 3,000cc lifestyle and chose small cars instead. Not to make a statement. Not to signal virtue or rebellion. Simply to live intentionally.
At the time, I was not thinking about trends, climate conferences or the future of mobility. I was thinking about efficiency. About what made sense for my daily life. About using only what I needed, rather than what looked impressive.
Along the way, something interesting began to happen.
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I have been mistaken for a taxi driver more times than I can count. My car is often pulled aside for searches while larger vehicles are waved through without a second glance. I have learned to accept this with patience and humour. I do not resent it at all.
Efficiency does not announce itself.
Over the past 16 years, I have travelled approximately 598,000 kilometres using small vehicles and, more recently, electric cars. When I pause and compare this journey with what it would have cost me to drive a 3,000cc vehicle over the same distance, the numbers are striking. I have saved roughly KSh 36.7 million in fuel, maintenance, and vehicle costs.
Yes. Thirty-six point seven million shillings.
This did not come from sacrifice or hardship. It came from choosing efficiency early and letting it compound over time. I did not give up mobility, comfort or reliability. I simply reduced waste.
This is not a crusade against big cars. There will always be space for them. Families need room. Businesses need capacity. Terrain sometimes demands power. And with electric vehicles, even large cars are becoming cleaner, quieter and more practical.
What matters is not the size of the vehicle. It is the mindset behind the choice.
And that is where Kenya's real challenge lies.
The biggest barrier to e mobility in Kenya is not electricity. It is not charging infrastructure. It is not technology. These are real issues, but they are solvable, and in many cases they are already being addressed.
The biggest barrier is mindset.
We have been conditioned to equate size with success and consumption with progress. Bigger engines are seen as rewards for hard work. Smaller cars are treated with suspicion. Electric vehicles are dismissed as novelties, luxuries, or technologies meant for some distant future.
Yet the lived reality on Kenyan roads tells a different story.
Kenya already has many of the conditions needed for a successful transition to e mobility. Our electricity mix is relatively clean, dominated by geothermal, hydro and wind. Most daily trips are short, especially in urban areas. Fuel prices continue to rise, punishing inefficiency every week. And we have a young, adaptable population that is open to new ways of living and moving.
What we lack is collective confidence.
E mobility is often framed as sacrifice, as if it requires people to give something up. In truth, it is about optimisation. It is about asking better, more honest questions. Do I really need to burn expensive fuel to sit in traffic? Do I need an engine designed for highways when most of my driving happens within the city? Do I want to keep exporting scarce foreign exchange to import fuel when locally generated electricity can move me more cheaply and predictably?
These are not ideological questions. They are practical ones.
Every kilometre I have driven in a small or electric car has reinforced one lesson. Efficiency compounds quietly. Over time. Financially. Environmentally. Emotionally.
The savings I speak about are not abstract figures on a spreadsheet. They translate into lower stress, fewer breakdowns, predictable running costs and insulation from constant fuel price shocks. They mean planning life with more certainty and fewer unpleasant surprises.
They also mean agency. The ability to make choices that align with one's values and circumstances, without waiting for permission or perfect conditions.
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Kenya does not need to wait for the future to arrive. It is already here, moving silently through our streets, charging quietly in homes and offices, and saving money without applause.
Efficiency will never be flashy. It will not arrive with convoys or sirens. It will not demand attention or admiration.
But it will always deliver.
Kenya is ready for e mobility. The infrastructure will catch up. The market will adjust. The technology will improve.
The real question is whether we are ready to rethink what progress looks like, and to accept that sometimes the smartest choices are the ones that draw the least attention.
Efficiency does not announce itself.
But it changes everything.
Are you ready?
