Spiro Pledges Mega Hubs Following E-Bikers' Protest in Tororo

Electric motorcycle company Spiro has announced plans to establish mega battery hubs in Tororo District to prevent future power reliability issues. The announcement follows a tense protest where more than 50 disgruntled e-bike riders locked a local sales agent inside the company’s regional office over an acute battery shortage.

The demonstration was triggered by a widespread electricity blackout that struck Tororo over the weekend, halting operations at the town’s sole battery-swapping station on Bazaar Street. According to local riders, over 200 registered users depend on the single station, leaving them stranded and unable to work for multiple days.

Protesters expressed deep frustration that daily loan repayments continued to accumulate on their accounts despite the service disruption. Riders noted that being unable to work for three days accumulated a Shs75,000 debt while generating zero income. Essential service providers were also affected, with healthcare workers reporting difficulties commuting to Tororo Hospital and facing the threat of their bikes being remotely locked for missed payments.

Spiro’s Deputy Country Head, Mr Bruce Mucunguzi, acknowledged the regional power outages but maintained that the company’s current infrastructure is generally adequate. However, he confirmed that Spiro is collaborating with local riders to upgrade to mega battery hubs. These larger facilities will be designed to charge more than 300 batteries simultaneously, effectively bridging the gap during grid failures.

Local sales agent Mr Thomas Emurukut, who was released after a three-hour standoff, explained that the company had been attempting to transport charged batteries from Mbale to meet the heavy demand. Headquarters subsequently promised to deliver additional batteries and review loan suspensions for the affected period, as reported by the Daily Monitor.