Kenya has assembled close to five million smartphones locally as part of efforts to widen access to digital tools, create jobs, and advance technological industrialisation.
The figure was announced by William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, on Monday, January 19, during the launch of the NYOTA commercial capital support programme for young entrepreneurs.
The locally assembled phones are sold at prices ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 Kenyan shillings ($46.5 to $62.2).
The government has placed the initiative within its broader digital inclusion strategy as it works to expand technology adoption, especially among young people, and maximise the benefits of mobile connectivity.
According to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya, the country’s mobile penetration rate is above 140%, with wider access to smartphones playing a key role in increasing digital usage, as seen on We are Tech Africa.
Greater smartphone adoption is expected to boost the use of digital financial services, e-commerce, e-government platforms, and online employment services, while also supporting the growth of the local digital economy.
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The push for local assembly also fits into Kenya’s wider digital employment strategy.
The government says business process outsourcing firms and digital platforms have already created more than 300,000 jobs, and officials expect the sector to contribute significantly to economic diversification.
Alongside this, authorities are strengthening support for youth entrepreneurship.
Through the NYOTA project, the government has mobilised 258.4 million Kenyan shillings to support more than 10,300 young entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Kiambu, and Kajiado counties, with the programme designed to increase incomes and encourage savings.
Skills development is another focus of the strategy. The government has installed around 350 digital centres in technical and vocational education institutions and plans to roll out an additional 1,450 centres across constituencies to narrow the digital divide and encourage local innovation.
To underpin these efforts, Kenya is also investing heavily in infrastructure.
The government plans to deploy 100,000 kilometres of high-speed fibre optic cable nationwide, a move authorities see as critical to attracting investment and supporting digital activities across the country.
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Image Credit: TECHECONOMY
