President William Ruto has announced that Kenya plans on producing the most affordable smartphone in Africa.
Ruto announced during a round table with small and medium enterprises convened by the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Nairobi on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
The head of state said that the project would be completed within 12 months.
If successful the phone is expected to cost less than Sh5,000, making it accessible to low-income Kenyans.
The project is being undertaken in partnership with technology and telecommunication firms in the country.
“We are working with our telcos so that we can have a smartphone that is going to be less than Sh5,000. A smartphone that can do everything you want,” he said.
It is estimated that the new innovation will cost between $30 and $40, compared to the average cost of a smartphone in Kenya, which is between Sh10,000 and Sh15,000.
“I want to promise the country that in the next eight to 12 months, we will have the cheapest smartphone in Africa manufactured in Kenya,” the president said.
According to the latest data from the Communications Authority, smartphone penetration in Kenya is at 54.5%.
This puts Kenya among the top countries in Africa in smartphone penetration.
However, feature phones still make up a majority of phones in the country at 67.9%, offering an opportunity for smartphone makers to tap into the gap.
