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Kenyan-Chinese Smartphone Assembly Plant Debuts

by Cobus van Staden
President William Ruto inaugurated Kenya's first smartphone assembly plant in Athi River Town southeast of Nairobi on October 30, 2023. Images via @Williamsruto.

Kenyan President William Ruto launched the country’s first smartphone assembly plant earlier this week. Located in a town outside of Nairobi, the East Africa Device Assembly Kenya plant is a joint venture between Kenyan telecom companies Safaricom and Jamii and the Chinese mobile device dealer Shenzhen TeleOne Technology.

The plant will assemble up to 1.4 million smartphones annually from parts imported from China. It will create up to 500 jobs. The phones produced will retail for around $50. The operation hopes to expand to tablets and other devices soon.

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