Members’ Achievements

Electric Driving –

First Trip to Naivasha

by Tom Morton

“But where do you charge it?” is the first question I am usually asked when I say that we have a Leaf, the all-electric car from Nissan. The answer, “Through a normal plug, at home,” is often greeted with surprise, demonstrating one of the key misunderstandings of electric mobility.

I decided in early October, to drive to Naivasha Yacht Club and back to Kitisuru, setting out with a certain amount of “range anxiety,” as this was the first long-distance outing. I wondered would the car really cope with all those uphill sections? Determined not to re-charge in Naivasha, I packed the cable in in my bag - just in case.

Electric cars are very much part of daily life in the UK now, with sales of electric cars and hybrids (half petrol, half electric) outstripping diesel powered vehicles for the first time this year. There are government incentives towards the upfront cost of purchase - which is higher than an equivalent car with an internal combustion engine. In central London, further incentives are provided as older diesel cars are charged to enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone. On a street in Mayfair recently, I could not help but notice that four in five cars parked were fully electric.

Back on the trip to Naivasha, I was a bit worried on the initial stage going up to Limuru, as the range seemed to be dropping much faster than the kilometres I was actually covering. But once pointing down hill on the escarpment, it was a different story. You don’t really use the brake pedal very much, the car automatically slows when you take your foot off the accelerator and forward momentum is “regenerated” into the battery. Feeling emboldened, I set off from Mai Mahiu at 100kmph, where traffic allowed. I was determined that I would have no loss of utility compared to driving in a normal car.

At the Yacht Club, 82km covered and battery was still on 80 per cent. On Sunday, I came back via “the top road” over the escarpment, which added more distance and altitude to climb. Electric cars can accelerate quickly and evenly, from any speed and there are no gears to change down. A 0-100kmph performance of under seven seconds made overtaking those Canter trucks a simple operation. A heavy right foot does munch through the battery, however.

At home, 180km travelled and 54 per cent of the charge remaining. The second most common question is, “But isn’t electricity expensive?” Another myth - it only cost 750/- to “fill up” again, compared to 2,500/- for a petrol equivalent.

There are clear cost savings for the driver. But as Kenya’s electricity is almost entirely generated from renewable sources there are almost no CO2 emissions from use, a key factor as we mitigate carbon emissions. In addition, Kenya does not have to spend foreign exchange on buying petrol and diesel from overseas. Most people who drive in Kenya probably park their car “off the street” and so could charge at home. All that is missing is a network of high-capacity chargers at strategic points on longer journeys.

You might buy one more fossil fuel powered car, but the one after that will probably be electric …

“But where do you charge ” it?… Through a normal plug, at home

All-electric Nissan Leaf charging at home.

Kamili Organisation Receives Prestigious UN Award

The United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases presented the award to Kamili “for their

achievements in providing community mental health care services and commitment to battling the stigma associated with mental health”.

Kamili was set up in 2009 by MCC Member Melanie Blake MBE to take over two mental health clinics running in low income areas of Nairobi. Since then, Kamili has grown and become one of the main providers of mental health care in Kenya, with over 7,700 patients and their extended families getting the support and therapies they need to manage their mental health issues. “ ” It is so good to see the hard work and dedication of the Kamili Team being recognised in this manner.

Melanie Blake MBE

Founder of Kamili Organisation

Amani Gikunda

Amani with National tennis Coach Veronica Osogo after winning the East African Junior Tennis Qualifiers in Uganda last October. Melanie Blake MBE (centre) and the Kamili Team after receiving the United Nations Award. Kamili’s mission is to provide those suffering from mental health illnesses in Kenya equal access to services and to affordable care in order to improve their quality of life.

Young MCC Member Amani Gikunda was selected to represent Kenya in the Under 12s Africa Junior Tennis Championship in Tunisia in December after winning gold at the East African Junior Tennis Qualifiers in Uganda in October this year. To qualify for their place in the Africa Tennis Championships Amani and her fellow team members Seline Ahoya and Nancy Kawira, had to beat teams from Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.

Amani began playing tennis on the courts at MCC, and most of what she knows she learned from the MCC tennis coaches Omega, Joshua and Ismael Changawa - Kenya’s Number 1 tennis player. Amani continues to train at the Club every week.

Amani is pictured here with the MCC tennis trainers who coached her since the age of six.

“We are so proud of Amani, she has worked very hard to represent Kenya and to win the Qualifiers to play in the Africa Championships. In Tunisia she will be competing against nine other African countries so the competition will be ferocious, but we wish her and her team mates the very best of luck.” MCC Coach Omega