-The Kenyan KSh 7k smartphone assembly plant has opened in Athi River, Machakos
-The local assembly plant aims to provide Kenyans with affordable phones
The first smartphone assembly plant in Kenya has opened in Athi River, Machakos.
The phones will be manufactured at East Africa Device Assembly Kenya Limited (EADAK), a partnership between local mobile network operators and international device manufacturers.
EADAK is a result of the government’s promise to establish a local smartphone assembly with a capacity to produce 3 million units annually.
They will be sold throughout the country in dealer stores and Faiba shops, as well as at Safaricom stores and the Masoko website.
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The 4G-enabled Neon 5-inch “Smarta” and 6-and-a-half-inch “Ultra” will be the flagship mobile phones at launch. In the upcoming months, EADAK plans to introduce a locally made tablet.
Smart Phones to retail for as low as Ksh. 7,000 as President @WilliamsRuto launches the very first ever local device assembling plant; East Africa Device Assembly Kenya Limited(EADAK) in Athi River, Machakos County.
The Assembling Plant is also projected to provide a range of… pic.twitter.com/vYT9QGeGpR
— Gerald Bitok (@geraldbitok) October 30, 2023
The plant is expected to create between 300 and 500 direct jobs.
“The launch of EADAK reaffirms our belief in the power of connectivity to transform lives and drive economic progress.
This partnership underscores our relentless pursuit to expand 4G access, empower Kenyans through affordable, high-quality smartphones, create employment opportunities, and grow our economy,” Peter Ndegwa, the CEO of Safaricom, said.
Kenyan telcos predicted in May that 1.2 to 1.8 million gadgets will be produced annually. The lowest-priced model was expected to retail for KSh 11,500.
This was more than double the price that President William Ruto pledged last year.
President Ruto said the government was working on a strategy to have locally manufactured mobile phones retail for less than KSh 5,000.
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However, the high taxes meant an adjustment of prices to between KSh 6,500 and KSh 7,000.
“If we were to work towards the vision of a 50-dollar phone, we would need to address import duty, excise duty, and output VAT. The final cost of a phone would be between 6,500 and 7,000 shillings at most,” said EADAK’s project lead, Karanja Gichiri.
Are you itching to try the Kenyan KSh 7k smartphone?
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