Roam & Keep It Cool Partner To Launch Electric Cold Chain Delivery Network In Kenya

Last year, the Clicks Group and United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD) partnered with Everlectric and Investec Sustainable Solutions to introduce South Africa’s first fleet of zero-emission, pharma-compliant electric vehicles (EVs) with solar-powered refrigeration. This partnership uses Maxus eDeliver 3 electric panel vans that were chosen because of their purpose-built light commercial EV nature. They feature lightweight composite materials, a laser-welded aluminum chassis, market-leading lithium-ion batteries, and extremely high efficiency. The refrigeration compartment is entirely powered by the van’s built-in solar panels. On the roof of the refrigeration compartment are 2 x 400W solar PV panels, providing a total output of 800Wp. The refrigeration system is accompanied by an inverter and a battery system (with an MPPT Charge controller and a 200AH lithium-ion battery) to support the refrigeration. This setup means the refrigerated compartment can run for up to two days without sunlight. The vehicle’s own battery (50.5kW traction battery) can also be used to power the refrigeration unit if needed.

We have more exciting news for electric cold chain delivery vehicles in Africa. This time from Kenya. Earthshot Prize Finalists Roam and Keep It Cool (KIC) have teamed up to launch a fully electric cold-chain delivery network in Kenya. Keep It Cool is a Nairobi-based startup redefining food supply chains in East Africa through its smart cold chain platform, Markiti. By integrating solar-powered cold storage, hybrid transport, and direct-to-market technology, the company drastically reduces post-harvest losses, improves supply chain efficiency, and guarantees market access for smallholder farmers and fishers. Its tech-driven approach cuts food waste by 98%, slashes emissions by 51%, and increases incomes across underserved communities—proving that clean, inclusive logistics is possible and scalable.

In a major move for climate resilience and food security, Earthshot Prize 2022 Finalist Roam and Earthshot Prize 2024 winners Keep It Cool (KIC) have partnered to launch a fully electric cold-chain distribution network, combining solar-powered refrigeration with clean electric delivery motorcycles. The collaboration is starting with five Roam Air electric motorcycles added to Keep It Cool’s smart cold-chain system. KIC already moves more than 250,000 kilograms of fresh food each week to over 4,000 small businesses and 40 supermarkets across major cities in Kenya, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Mombasa. Designed and built in Kenya, Roam Air motorcycles carry up to 240 kg and reduce running costs by up to 75% compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles, making them affordable and practical for delivery businesses.

There is a severe post-harvest-loss food crisis in a lot of African countries due to inadequate transport systems and lack of sufficient cold chain facilities. This new partnership therefore marks a significant step in addressing East Africa’s post-harvest crisis, where nearly half of fish and poultry is lost before reaching markets due to a lack of cold storage and transport. Keep It Cool tackles this challenge with solar-powered cold rooms near fishing ports, hybrid delivery trucks, and a digital platform that links producers directly to retailers with guaranteed prices, helping remove middlemen and improve profits.

So far, KIC has helped over 5,600 fisherfolk raise their incomes by more than 15% and reduced post-harvest losses by 98% for over 1.5 million kg of food. With Roam’s electric motorcycles now closing the last-mile delivery gap, the system is fully clean, from the point of harvest to the point of sale. Roam was recently named Kenya’s fastest-growing company by the Financial Times, expanded its sales and charging infrastructure services out of Nairobi, and launched its new Roam Air Generation 2, designed with input from Kenyan riders.

Roam has just launched the new Generation 2 Roam Air, an upgraded electric motorcycle designed with direct input from local motorcycle riders. The good thing is we are now starting to see increasing numbers of electric motorcycles from Roam and other players hit the road in Kenya. The KNBS Economic Survey Report (2025) shows that 68,804 new motorcycles were registered in Kenya in 2024. Of these, 4,862 motorcycles were electric according to data presented by the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya (EMAK). That means 7.1% of all new motorcycle registrations in Kenya in 2024 were electric. With all these electric motorcycles hitting the road, it gives firms such as Roam a massive opportunity to get a lot of real use case data from the users of their electric motorcycles. This data can then be used to make improvements and adapt the product offering to meet users’ needs. Roam has therefore incorporated a lot of feedback from users of their Roam Air Gen 1 to produce the much improved Gen 2 Roam Air.

Keep It Cool now gets to benefit from the new and improved Roam Air 2. Keep It Cool is set to open the country’s largest solar-powered cold-chain hub this year, with a 70-tonne capacity and a plan to reach 1.6 million people by 2030. By combining clean energy, smart logistics, and African-made technology, Roam and KIC are proving that it’s possible to grow rural incomes, reduce waste, and fight climate change — all at once.

Elijah Gakomo, Sales Executive at Roam: “This partnership shows how clean transport can drive real impact, reducing emissions, cutting costs, and strengthening local supply chains. Together, we’re proving that the future of logistics in Africa is electric, efficient, and built at home.”

Abigail Gichigi, Operations Director at Keep IT Cool: “Each year, we’re saving nearly 400 tonnes of fish that would otherwise end up in landfills—by investing in efficient cold storage and clean energy-powered cold logistics. These innovations are making safe, affordable food distribution scalable. With our partnership with Roam, we’re accelerating this impact even further—delivering tangible benefits for both people and the planet.”

Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize: “This collaboration is a shining example of urgent optimism in action. Roam and Keep It Cool are proving that cleaner air, healthier lives, and greater prosperity are within reach. It’s a powerful reminder of what The Earthshot Prize was created to do: spotlight bold ideas, back the brilliant minds behind them, and show the world that change is not only possible, it’s already happening.”

The two partnerships — Everlectric, the Clicks Group, and United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD) in South Africa; and this latest one between Roam and Keep It Cool — are great examples to showcase the growing B2B deals that will be key drivers in the quest to catalyse adoption of electric vehicles on the continent. These two are even more exciting, as they are helping address the critical cold chain logistics sector.

Images courtesy of Roam