As Kenya's National Building Code 2024 mandates EV parking in all new malls, a UK driver's £100 nightmare serves as a timely warning for Nairobi's early adopters.

It sounds like a paradox: you park your electric vehicle (EV) to charge it, paying for the electricity, only to receive a hefty fine for "parking." This is exactly what happened to a driver in the UK, who was slapped with a £100 (approx. KES 16,500) penalty for overstaying a time limit while plugged into a "24-hour" charger.

For Kenyan EV owners, this is not just a foreign anecdote; it is a glimpse into the near future. With the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) pushing for aggressive EV adoption and the National Building Code 2024 mandating that 5% of all commercial parking spots be EV-ready, the infrastructure is coming. But so are the traps.

The "Overstay" Revenue Model

The issue lies in the disconnect between charging time and parking time.

• The Trap: A slow charger might take 4 hours to fill your battery, but the mall's parking limit might be 2 hours.
• The Fine: Private parking operators—like those managing Nairobi's malls—use automated number plate recognition (ANPR) to issue fines, regardless of whether you were charging or not.
• The Kenyan Context: Nairobi's parking management is increasingly privatized and automated. As malls like Two Rivers, Garden City, and The Hub install more chargers, the risk of "charging fines" grows exponentially.

Navigating the Green Transition

Kenyan drivers, already burdened by high fuel costs, are turning to EVs to save money. However, hidden costs like these can erode those savings instantly.

EPRA must step in. Guidelines need to explicitly state that "Charging is not Parking," ensuring that drivers actively paying for electricity are exempt from punitive time limits. Without this protection, the green revolution in Kenya could be stalled by the red tape of parking enforcers.