Commuters in Kira Municipality have been given a temporary relief on their morning journeys, with the Government of Uganda announcing that passengers can board designated electric buses and travel to their destinations free of charge.

The announcement was made Monday morning through the Government of Uganda's official communication channels, as the newly introduced electric bus service continues to serve commuters in Kira and surrounding areas.

The government urged residents to take advantage of the service, telling passengers that wherever they find a designated bus, they can board and travel without paying a fare.

The free-ride announcement comes just days after 15 locally manufactured electric buses were commissioned for Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. The buses were launched at Kiira Prayer Ground under a new public transport service operated by E-Bus Express Kira Limited and manufactured by Kiira Motors Corporation.

The  buses are operating on routes connecting Kira and other parts of the Greater Kampala metropolitan area and they will run along the Kisasi–Kyanja–Kungu–Ntinda, Najjera–Nakwero, and Ntinda–Naalya–Namugongo–Sonde routes.

The rollout is intended to provide commuters with a cleaner, safer and more organised alternative to conventional public transport while helping ease traffic congestion.

The Government of Uganda had earlier announced the deployment of the 15 buses on these routes from August 28, describing them as a higher-capacity and cleaner transport option for residents of the rapidly growing Kira area.

The government's latest message is particularly significant for commuters because fares had already been announced for the new service.

According to Eng. Ian John Kavuma of E-Bus Xpress Kiira Ltd, the normal fares are expected to start at Shs800 for adults and Shs400 for students, depending on the distance travelled.

The current free-ride runs until 6 September.

A report published during the launch indicated that free rides were scheduled for the initial period of the new Kira service, before the normal fare structure takes effect.

The new electric buses are designed to provide a more modern public transport experience.

The service is expected to offer scheduled journeys, air conditioning, onboard Wi-Fi, cashless payment options and modern safety systems.

Students will also be able to use wristbands to pay fares under the operator's School Cashless Days campaign.

The buses are manufactured locally by Kiira Motors Corporation, making the Kira rollout part of Uganda's wider push to develop locally produced electric mobility solutions.

The Kira deployment builds on the introduction of eight Kayoola electric buses in Kampala on May 1, 2026.

With the addition of the 15 buses serving Kira Municipality, the electric-bus fleet associated with the service has grown to 23 buses.

At the Kira launch, Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs Hajjat Minsa Kabanda described the expansion as an important step towards modernising public transport and reducing congestion in the metropolitan area.

Kabanda also called for the electric-bus network to be expanded further to areas including Entebbe, Wakiso and Kampala's Central Business District.

She argued that a stronger scheduled bus network could reduce dependence on taxis while providing safer and more reliable transport for commuters.

The introduction of the electric buses gives commuters along the Kira–Ntinda and surrounding corridors another public transport option at a time when authorities are seeking to improve road safety and modernise urban mobility.

The Kira electric-bus rollout is ultimately part of a broader effort to move Uganda's urban transport system towards cleaner technology, scheduled services and locally manufactured vehicles.