This archive report was first published on 22 November 2019.
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni launched the country's first mobile phone manufacturing and assembling plant in Namanve, Kampala, on Friday, November 22, 2019.
The plant, owned by Chinese firm Engo, will produce SIMI-branded handsets and is expected to create over 400 jobs.
At full capacity, the factory will run three production lines, each producing 2,000 feature phones, 1,500 smart phones, 800 laptops, 2,000 chargers, 4,000 USB cables, and 4,000 sets of earphones daily.
President Museveni expressed his happiness with the Chinese solidarity with Uganda and Africa, stating that the economy has grown to $35 billion.
He also acknowledged that the only remaining challenge for his government to overcome was corruption.
State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Evelyn Anite, said that manufacturing the phones locally will reduce the country's import bill, with a phone costing only Ush20,000 ($5).
ICT Minister, Frank Tumwebaze, noted that one of the cost-push factors for internet is the failure by people to afford devices that are able to connect to the internet, but the new plant will produce smart phones that can connect to the internet.
