“It was an incredible place close to the Kyabazinga and, as a driver, it was a memorable experience that I will cherish forever,” says Richard Madanda of his experience driving the Kyabazinga, His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV , the day he exchanged nuptials with Jovia Mutesi, the Inebantu. As the Kyabazinga and Inebantu were overwhelmed by the cheers of an adoring crowd on the road, Madanda drove them in an open-top car.

The trained engineer was the designated cart operator of Kiira Motors Corporation who undertook the special mission from Kyabazinga to build this unique cart.

Madanda, director of product development at Kiira Motors Corporation, explains that following advice from Kyabazinga’s coterie of friends and advisors, the Kiira team designed a car in the shape of a boat. Its finish was adorned with the royal colors of blue and gold.

Kiira Motors Corporation is a mobility company whose main objective is to solve current and future mobility challenges.

This includes unconventional mobility solutions such as the Kyabazinga Royal Carriage.

Madanda told Saturday Monitor that the company was approached by Oba Kyabazinga 10 days before the royal wedding. The request seemed simple enough: design and build the royal carriage.

“It is important to note that this call was made to Kiira Motors due to the capabilities demonstrated. So I think the Oba Kyabazinga wanted something special of their own because Kiira Motors is located in Busoga Kingdom,” Madanda further revealed in an interview.

The car was designed for five seats to accommodate the Kyabazinga, the Inebantu, the maids and a driver.

“It is a non-motorized, three-axle, 10-wheel, steered cart. The team assembled this boat-shaped cart because the Busoga kingdom ruled by Oba Kyabazinga is surrounded by bodies of water, including Lake Victoria, Lake Albert and the Nile,” Madanda explained.

He added: “We sourced materials from the local market as we had little time to wait for a part which was not available in the local market. This is why we designed this Royal Coach using local materials.

To ensure it went beyond technical readiness, the team conducted comprehensive road tests at the Kiira Vehicle Factory.

These were mainly aimed at testing the brakes, steering system, load capacity and traction.

The Royal Coach tells the story of a native company. Kiira vehicle engineering is Ugandan.

“We also manufacture vehicle chassis and bodies. We source steel, paints, manufacturing consumables, silicones, assorted bolts, nuts, rivets from local suppliers (Doshi, Plascon…etc) as they are readily available and can be purchased without long delay unlike imported parts,” purred Madanda. as he told Saturday Monitor about the growing Ugandan character of society.

He also revealed that Kiira Motors imports chassis systems, electrical components and electrical systems.

Important parts come from China, Kiira Motors’ technology partner with a 15-year technology transfer agreement.

The product development manager said they can locally produce seats, glass such as windshield and side windows, dashboards, tires, wiring harnesses, hardware and software components, all auxiliary components, brake pads and battery banks.

Kiira Motors’ goal is to have 65 percent of vehicle parts produced locally by 2030. In the short term, Kiira Motors plans to commission a vehicle factory and produce buses for customers and equipped to achieve the production of 5,000 vehicles per year.

In the short to medium term, according to Madanda, the company intends to localize key mobility components, establish social amenities at the Kiira vehicle factory, establish a smart, reliable charging network and practical, to support the establishment of efficient, integrated, sustainable, safe and inclusive public transport systems in Uganda, training and retraining of actors in the industrial value chain.

“In the medium term, it is about developing the market system and establishing a presence in regional markets, by training 6,000 electric bus operators,” he further revealed, adding: “In the long term, we would like to operationalize the Mobility Industrial and Technology Park in Kayunga, aiming to attract mobility stakeholders for the localization of key mobility components.

So far, the automobile company has produced three concept vehicles, namely Kiira EV, Kiira EVS, Kayoola Solar Bus, cars and 39 Kayoola buses.

It has produced mobility vessels like the three-in-one tricycle, capable of transporting agricultural products, generating electricity and also pumping water.

Clients include private citizens and institutions including Uganda Airlines, Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and National Enterprise Corporation. The company is the 14th African automobile manufacturer.

“With the exception of Ghana, where they have a few locally inspired vehicle projects, the rest of the African countries either subcontract manufacturing or have franchises of global manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, TATA, etc. in South Africa. Other African countries with global manufacturer identifiers and VIN systems include South Africa, Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritius, Tunisia, etc. Madanda told Saturday Monitor.

“The design of a new vehicle can take varying amounts of time depending on the resource envelope available for the development of the new vehicle. At Kiira Motors Corporation, we can typically take six months to a year to design a new vehicle. Mass production of a vehicle takes 14 days. The entire production cycle may involve parts sourcing, including overseas parts sourcing. It could take three months in an optimized process,” he added.

Currently, the company is working with private and government entities to identify and implement model charging stations.

Kiira Motors is already in talks with the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to set up at the airport and has engaged Jinja Municipal Council which has offered land to install the charging stations.

The company installs the first charging station in collaboration with Victoria Motors in the industrial zone.

“Ultimately,” Madanda said, “it is important to note that we want private players to create and operate these gas stations, just like the private gas station sector. Our role as Kiira Motors is to set up model charging stations.