Local smartphone assembly has been part of the ICT ministry’s plan to foster digital inclusion for all Kenyans and provide affordable access to smart devices. HMD Global, which sells Nokia-branded devices, has revealed that it has similar plans and goals.
Smartphones are not exactly cheap in Kenya. While companies such as Transsion (which manufactures TECNO, Itel and Infinix smartphones) and OPPO among others offer more affordable alternatives, they have since adjusted their prices upwards, compelled by the tanking dollar rate, inflation and local taxes. Specifically, in the Finance Act, 2022, the government proposed a 10% tax on the importation of phones, in addition to the existing import duty which stood at 25%. This development no doubt hinders digital inclusion and could stall smartphone penetration, as the majority of Kenyans cannot afford the devices.
Earlier this year in a TV interview, Kenyan ICT and digital economy cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo proposed the…
