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Tag: Time Magazine

  • Kenya Power backs EV, hybrid rollout by dealers

    Kenya Power backs EV, hybrid rollout by dealers

    The Kenya Power and Lighting Company Board Chairperson, Joy Masinde, has lauded the ongoing corporate efforts by local motor dealers to introduce Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) in the local market.

    Speaking during a test-drive experience in the new BYD SHARK 6, a PHEV pickup truck, introduced in Kenya by Loxea Kenya, the Kenya Power Chairperson reiterated the power distributor’s commitment to enhancing access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure countrywide.

    Kenya Power, she said, is focused on decarbonising the grid through a strategic commitment to climate action by enabling the electric-mobility agenda.

    “I enjoyed my drive on the BYD Shark 6 this morning, which has impressive road handling and mind-blowing features at a very competitive price,” Masinde said.

    She added, “At Kenya Power, we are working very hard to power a sustainable future for Kenya through electric mobility and the introduction of EVs and Hybrid vehicles by firms such as Loxea Kenya, which fits very well in our strategy.”

    Loxea Kenya, a subsidiary of CFAO Mobility Kenya, recently introduced the fast-selling BYD SHARK 6, which is proving to be a popular customer choice as charging and after-sales service infrastructure continues to grow countrywide.

    BYD vehicles are rapidly becoming the preferred choice for Kenyan consumers who demand innovative, reliable, and sustainable mobility solutions. At Loxea Kenya, we are proud to lead the country’s transition towards cleaner transportation by offering models like the BYD SHARK 6 and Sealion 6, which provide cutting-edge plug-in hybrid technology combined with affordability and performance. Ms Kinyoe said.

    Alongside the BYD SHARK 6, BYD by Loxea in Kenya, the BYD Sealion 6, an SUV PHEV Model, is enjoying steady growth.

    The company has also introduced the BYD Dolphin in the local market. TIME Magazine recently named the BYD Dolphin as one of the best inventions of 2025. It is the company’s star and cheapest offering, priced at Kshs 3.6 million locally. It’s a compact hatchback, with the simplest version featuring a 30kWh battery, a 55kW motor, a range of 305 km, and a top speed of 130 km/h.

     

     

  • President Ruto one of four Africans on Time climate leaders list

    President Ruto one of four Africans on Time climate leaders list

    Kenya’s President William Ruto has been named by Time Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential leaders shaping global climate action.

    The listing comes in the week he led a national holiday aimed at planting 100 million trees in a single day.

    Mr Ruto was named alongside the mayor of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr.

    Burkinabé-German architect Francis Kéré and Ethiopian climate entrepreneur Kidus Asfaw also made the Time list.

    The ranking, known as “Time 100 Climate”, was released on Thursday, and is the magazine’s inaugural attempt to name those it sees as significant in highlighting and doing something about the issue of climate change across the globe.

    Time said it selected those listed for “making significant progress in fighting climate change by creating business value”.

    The magazine also said that the honourees were chosen because their efforts in fighting climate change were recent and produced “measurable, scalable achievements” rather than “commitments and announcements”.

    Mr Ruto has been vocal in trying to deal with the impact of climate change in Kenya and Africa.

    The tree-planting holiday held on 13 November was part of his larger ambition for Kenya to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.

    In September, he hosted the first ever Africa Climate Summit in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, which ended in a joint declaration demanding that major polluters commit more resources to help poorer nations.

    But some environmentalists have called Mr Ruto a hypocrite for championing tree planting while failing to tame illegal logging in public forests.

    Last month, an environmental court stopped a directive that Mr Ruto gave in June to lift a 2018 ban on logging.

    In October, he called for the eviction of people living in the 380,000-hectare Mau Forest.

    While some environmentalists hailed the move as critical to safeguarding the forest, some human rights lawyers said the government illegally evicted the Ogiek indigenous community which has inhabited the land for generations to profit from carbon offsetting schemes.

    Mr Ruto’s recognition as a leader on climate action also came as the World Bank on Friday warned that Kenya’s economic output could decline by 7.25% by 2050 if the country fails to tackle climate change.

    Architect Francis Kéré was named by Time for his innovative sustainable design projects, including for the state houses in Benin and his home country Burkina Faso.

    In 2022, he became the first black person and African to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

    Mr Asfaw runs a start-up that repurposes plastic waste into affordable low-carbon construction materials.

    Time said that his start-up offers “a sustainable and speedy solution to housing shortages as Africa’s population grows”.

    Mayor Aki-Sawyerr was listed for “tackling environmental degradation and climate resilience” through efforts like developing a climate action plan for Freetown and appointing a chief heat officer for the city, the first in Sierra Leone and Africa.