Kenya’s Smartphone Revolution: EADAK Hits Milestone of 1 Million Phones
Kass Digital
The East Africa Device Assembly (EADAK), Kenya’s first local smartphone assembly facility, has officially produced over one million phones at its base in Athi River, Machakos County.
Dr. CK Joshua, Chairman of EADAK, credited the government for being a partner since inception and its essential role in supporting the growth of the electronics manufacturing sector through supportive legislations and policies.
“And now we are showing that it is practically possible for us to be able to be an electronic manufacturing country. We have created jobs, we’ve added value, and we believe we’ll be pursuing the supply chain and we look forward in the near future to be manufacturing batteries, motherboards, let’s give it time,” Dr. CK Joshua said.
Dr. CK Joshua was speaking during a visit by Dr. Margaret Ndung’u, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (ICT), and her Principal Secretary, Eng. John Tanui.
CS Ndung’u expressed her excitement about the factory’s potential for job creation and technological growth.
“This is very impressive, the fact that they’ll be able to create jobs for our massive population. I would want to encourage them to keep on doing this. I loved the fact that I saw very many women, I must say, I want women to venture into this space and I’ve seen quite a number of them and I think this is a good thing” she said.
Dr. Ndungú called on other investors to emulate this and look beyond the local market and explore export opportunities across Africa and beyond.
PS Tanui also praised the rapid development of the factory, which he called “nothing short of a miracle.”
“The speed at which this facility was set up, and the fact that over one million phones have already been produced, shows the immense potential of our private sector,” he added.
EADAK was launched by President William Ruto late last year, and its debut smartphones were the 4G-enabled Neon “Smarta” (5-inch) and “Ultra” (6.5-inch). These devices are available at Faiba shops, authorized dealer outlets, Safaricom stores, and on the Masoko online platform.
