eBee Africa Faces Layoffs and Restructuring: A Setback for Green Mobility in Kenya
eBee Africa, once a promising force in Kenya’s burgeoning green mobility sector, is undergoing a significant transformation. Following the departure of its CEO and co-founder in March 2025 and a subsequent tax dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) regarding the classification of imported electric bicycles, the company has been forced to implement mass layoffs. This challenging period highlights the difficulties faced by even promising African tech ventures.
A Leaner Future: The Reason Behind the Cuts
The job cuts, affecting multiple departments, were attributed to a confluence of factors. eBee cited declining revenues, escalating operational expenses, and unsustainable employee wages as primary drivers. This was then followed by most of the remaining employees leaving voluntarily, leaving eBee running with a skeletal workforce. The company is now focused on restructuring its business model, aiming for a leaner operating structure to navigate the current economic headwinds. eBee had positioned itself as a pioneer in Kenya’s electric vehicle market, launching fleets with major delivery services such as Jumia, Glovo, and Bolt, and had expanded its operations to Uganda and Rwanda by mid-2024. With ambitious plans, including the goal of putting one million electric bicycles on African roads by 2030, eBee initially presented an inspiring image of growth and innovation within the African tech ecosystem.
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