19 March 2025 – A new report by Dr Gabriel Okello and Dr Lambed Tatah explores how the transition to electric motorcycles – commonly known as ‘boda bodas’ – may alleviate air pollution and related health risks in both Kampala and Uganda as a whole.
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About
Air pollution is now the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for over 7 million deaths annually. Human exposure to fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system adversely affects both health and wellbeing, while ultimately contributing to premature mortality. Air pollution can also impair foetal lung development, increasing lifelong disease risk and burdening healthcare systems. It also reduces workforce productivity and lowers gross domestic product (GDP), imposing significant economic costs.
Of these deaths, 1.1 million occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where growing populations and urbanisation has led to a substantial increase in ambient air pollution. Two-wheeled petrol-powered motorcycles (commonly known as ‘boda bodas’ in Uganda) are vital to the transport system in many African cities, providing essential ‘last mile’ services and navigating congested traffic due to their size and manoeuvrability. However, they also significantly contribute to air pollution, emitting more particulate matter per kilometre than cars. As of 2022, there were an estimated 27 million registered motorcycles in Africa—a 440 per cent increase over the last decade. Crucially, traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) accounts for 25 per cent of global urban air pollution and is linked to higher rates of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, lung cancer and asthma.
Building on work undertaken as part of The King's Global Sustainability Fellowship in Air Quality and NCDs, supported by AstraZeneca, the nested project described in this report assessed the potential impacts of electric mobility transition on local air pollution and related health risks in Kampala and explored insights to identify barriers to and facilitators of electric boda boda adoption.
Findings
This project used World Health Organization (WHO) AirQ+, a software tool for quantifying the health burden and impact of air pollution. Utilising AirQ+, we quantified the impact of very small/fine air particles – commonly known as PM2.5 – on overall mortality and disease-specific deaths, including respiratory diseases. We also undertook surveys across 280 boda boda riders to generate insights and identify barriers to and facilitators of electric boda boda adoption.
Our modelling showed that switching to electric boda bodas in Kampala would:
- Reduce PM2.5 levels by 15 per cent
- Decrease all-cause mortality deaths due to PM2.5 by 18 per cent
- Decrease deaths from circulatory diseases by 17 per cent, under-five mortality due to acute respiratory infections by 12 per cent, and deaths from chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) in adults (25≤) by 11 per cent.
Despite making fewer trips, electric boda boda riders turned a greater net profit than their petrol-using counterparts. Electric boda bodas earned a net profit (£6.12) of 11% per day more than petrol boda bodas who earned £5.15 per day. This was mainly due to lower cost of maintenance and lower energy cost.
Barriers cited by petrol riders (who made up 92 per cent of respondents) to transition included high cost, limited charging stations, uncertainty about resale value, and health concerns. Meanwhile, those favouring electric boda bodas (the remaining 8 per cent) noted benefits like lower fuel costs, lower maintenance costs and ease of upkeep.
Transitioning to electric-powered motorcycles can offer a direct, transformational solution for the reduction of air pollution in Uganda and other African cities and decrease health risks from air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, with the potential to create thousands of ‘green’ jobs in the process.
Citing this report
Okello, G. and Tatah, L. (2025). Exploring the potential health impacts of electrifying two-wheelers in Kampala, Uganda. Cambridge: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
