Safi said its fully charged e-motors can run for 45 minutes and cover a distance of 90km (55 miles).

Motorbikes are a common means of transport in Rwandan cities, some 20,000 operate in the capital, Kigali, alone.

Niyonkuru Christelle from Safi told journalists on Tuesday that the firm will install charging stations around the country.

A demonstration of how the e-motorbikes are chargedImage caption: A demonstration of how the e-motorbikes are charged

In August, President Paul Kagame said at a youth meeting that electric motorcycles “are coming soon to replace fuel motorcycles in the country”, and asked taxi operators to cooperate in the process.

Safi plans to hire riders as employees.

However, riders, who are currently self-employed, told me they were worried about losing their jobs and being forced to work for a private firm.

Ms Niyonkuru said that working for Safi would not be compulsory.

Collette Ruhamya, head of Rwanda environment management authority, told journalists that the launch of e-motorbikes is a milestone to curb emissions harmful to environment.

A rider on an electric motorbike during a road test