STORY: Ugandan entrepreneur seeks transition to greener transportation
DATELINE: Sept. 19, 2023
LENGTH: 0:04:53
LOCATION: Kampala
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views in Kampala
2. various of Geofrey Mutabazi during work
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GEOFREY MUTABAZI, Founder of Karaa Bikes
4. various of the electric bicycles
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JAVAN CHAMPATHE, Biker 
6. various of the electric bicycles
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GEOFREY MUTABAZI, Founder of Karaa Bikes

STORYLINE:

On the roads of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, there are a large number of motorcycles, commonly known as boda bodas, as they are a favorite choice for locals to travel around the city in daily traffic jams.
  
However, motorcycles have brought great hazards to local air quality.

Geofrey Mutabazi, a young entrepreneur, sees great business potential in promoting a green way of transportation in Kampala while addressing environmental concerns.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GEOFREY MUTABAZI, Founder of Karaa Bikes
"We need to switch to the electric mode of mobility and more inclusive electric modes of mobilities, so bicycles are more inclusive, you don't need permits, you don't need a lot of charging infrastructure. Electric bicycles can be adopted now with no need for infrastructure, with a very minimal investment and without a lot of regulatory challenges. So I think Africa is ready for electric mobility and transitioning now is very possible with things like electric bicycles."

Mutabazi's start-up deals with e-bike tracking, charging, retrofit, and rental. The bicycles are equipped with locally designed motors and battery systems, enabling riders to travel over 60 km on a single charge.
  
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JAVAN CHAMPATHE, Biker 
"As we all know, the world is changing. We are moving to a digital generation and we have to appreciate things like this and encourage people to use things that are eco-friendly like this bike. I don't need to buy fuel. I don't burn any fuel but I actually work and the environment is still very healthy."

Mutabazi believed that taking immediate action is key to solving climate-related issues and he expected the COP 28 event later this year in Dubai will see more commitments and actions taken by countries to protect the environment.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GEOFREY MUTABAZI, Founder of Karaa Bikes
"We need action now because I think we had a lot of declarations, we had a lot of targets set, we had a lot of discussions and panels and roundtables. I think this COP 28 and all the next COP events need to be focused on action, how do you bring the actors into the room, how do we bring the action onto the table and actually demonstrate what have we done, what can we do next, and what can we do better. I think action, action, action is the most important thing."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kampala.
(XHTV)