Roam, a Kenyan electric mobility innovator and Earthshot Prize 2022 finalist, has partnered with Keep It Cool (KIC), the 2024 Earthshot Prize winner to unveil Africa’s first fully electric cold-chain distribution network. This initiative combines solar-powered refrigeration infrastructure with locally made electric delivery motorcycles to offer a clean and efficient food logistics solution.
The partnership began with the deployment of five Roam Air electric motorcycles into KIC’s cold-chain logistics system, which already facilitates the weekly distribution of over 250,000 kilograms of perishable produce to more than 4,000 small businesses and 40 supermarkets in Kenyan cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru.
Roam Air, developed and assembled in Kenya, is designed to carry up to 240 kg and offers up to 75% lower operating costs compared to fuel-powered motorcycles. Elijah Gakomo, a Sales Executive at Roam, highlighted that this collaboration demonstrates the tangible impact of electric transport on emissions reduction, cost savings, and supply chain efficiency. “We’re proving that Africa’s logistics future is not only electric but also homegrown and highly effective,” he remarked.
Clean supply chain
This innovation directly addresses East Africa’s severe post-harvest losses, where nearly half of fish and poultry fail to reach markets due to inadequate cold storage and transport. Keep It Cool combats these challenges through solar-powered cold rooms, hybrid delivery trucks, and a digital platform that directly connects producers to retailers. This eliminates middlemen, stabilizes prices, and boosts farmer earnings.
So far, KIC’s model has helped over 5,600 fishers increase their incomes by more than 15%, while preventing the spoilage of over 1.5 million kg of food. According to Abigail Gichigi, Operations Director at KIC, the Roam partnership helps avert the waste of nearly 400 tonnes of fish annually, simply by enabling efficient, clean delivery systems. She added, “With Roam on board, we are accelerating access to safe and affordable food while protecting both livelihoods and the environment.”
The collaboration ensures a completely clean supply chain from the source to the final point of sale, with Roam’s electric bikes bridging the last-mile delivery gap. This marks a major step toward more climate-resilient and equitable food distribution across the region.
Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, described the partnership as a model of what’s possible when innovation is driven by purpose. “Roam and Keep It Cool are showing that sustainable development and economic opportunity can go hand-in-hand,” he said, reaffirming the Earthshot Prize’s role in promoting scalable, impactful ideas.
Both organizations are experiencing rapid growth. Roam was recently named Kenya’s fastest-growing company by the Financial Times and has launched its Roam Air Generation 2, designed with input from local riders. It has also expanded its network of charging and sales points. Meanwhile, Keep It Cool is preparing to launch Kenya’s largest solar-powered cold-chain hub, with a 70-tonne storage capacity and an ambitious plan to reach 1.6 million people by 2030.
This partnership showcases the power of African innovation in solving complex challenges—proving that it is possible to improve rural incomes, reduce food waste, and fight climate change all at once using clean, localized technology and smart logistics.