Sun King to make solar-powered smartphones from Kenya plant

• Sun King’s 7,600-square-metre manufacturing centre has an annual production capacity of up to 700,000 units, with scope for further expansion.
• The Tatu City facility will start by producing televisions and smartphones, designed to run efficiently on the solar systems that the company delivers.
• It consolidates manufacturing, refurbishment, and high-capacity warehousing under one roof, strengthening the company’s ability to serve customers across Kenya and the wider continent.
• With Nairobi hub, Sun King aims to localise manufacturing, shorten supply chains, and increase local value addition.

Solar and energy-efficient appliances company Sun King has inaugurated its first large-scale manufacturing facility in Kenya’s Tatu City, Kiambu County where the firm will be making. The hub marks the company’s first manufacturing operation in Africa and represents a significant milestone in the East African country’s industrialisation journey.

The new 7,600-square-metre facility has an annual production capacity of up to 700,000 units, with scope for further expansion. It consolidates manufacturing, refurbishment, and high-capacity warehousing under one roof, strengthening Sun King’s ability to serve customers across Kenya and the wider continent.

By producing closer to its customer base, it aims to localise manufacturing, shorten supply chains, and increase local value addition. The company estimates that this investment could substitute more than USD $150 million in imports across Africa over five years, keeping more value and jobs within the Kenyan economy.

“Opening our own manufacturing facility in Kenya gives us the scale to deliver more efficiently, the flexibility to innovate faster, and the foundation to grow a resilient manufacturing ecosystem here in Africa. For our customers, it means faster access to products and quality solutions made closer to home.” Kota Kojima, Chief Operating Officer, Sun King.

Sun King supporting Kenya’s industrialisation vision

The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior government officials and industry leaders, including: Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary, State Department of Industry, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Anne Naliaka, Senior Industrial Development Officer, State Department of Industry, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Eng. Isaac Kiva, Secretary for Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy; Miriam Bomet, Head of Policy, Regulatory and Advocacy Unit, Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

Also present were representatives from the Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Electronic-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation of Kenya (EPROK), ICT Authority of Kenya, Stanbic Bank, Citi Bank, Absa Bank, Co-operative Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, and other key partners.

The company designs, installs, and finances a wide range of solar products and electronics, including smartphones and energy-efficient appliances such as televisions, fans, and freezers that work seamlessly with its solar systems. These products provide clean power and connectivity to millions of households and small businesses.

The Tatu City facility will start by producing televisions and smartphones, designed to run efficiently on the solar systems that the company delivers. Sun King is actively investigating how to expand into additional product lines and explore manufacturing pathways that leverage Kenya’s growing industrial base to lower costs for customers.

“At Sun King, we’re driven by a simple commitment: to deliver the best-quality products at prices that families and businesses in Kenya and across Africa can afford. This facility allows us to harness Kenya’s talent and ingenuity to keep delivering on that promise.” T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder, Sun King.

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Kenya’s Vision 2030

Kenya’s long-term development agenda, anchored in Vision 2030, places strong emphasis on industrialisation and job creation as drivers of inclusive economic growth. The government aims to expand manufacturing’s contribution to GDP and strengthen domestic value chains. Initiatives such as the development of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) are designed to stimulate local industry, create employment, and enhance competitiveness across the country.

“I want to thank Sun King for the courage and confidence that they have shown. This milestone is a symbol of growing confidence in Kenya’s local manufacturing.” Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary, State Department of Industry, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. “This is very much in line with the Kenyan Government’s agenda, such as he Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”

Jobs, Skills, and Future Growth

The facility currently employs 90 people, 60 percent men and 40 percent women, and is expected to expand to over 350 employees within five years. Company plans to work with technical institutions — including the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and local universities — to provide structured internship and apprenticeship opportunities. Participants will gain hands-on experience in light manufacturing and process-improvement projects, with high-performing trainees offered pathways to full-time roles.

“This facility reflects Sun King’s long-term partnership with government and local communities to advance Africa’s manufacturing capability,” said Dr. Wale Aboyade, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Sun King. “Kenya has the policy vision, the talent, and the drive to lead this transformation. We’re proud to play our part in turning that potential into lasting industrial growth.”

Headquartered in Nairobi, the green energy equipment firm powers millions of Kenyan households and businesses with affordable solar energy and energy-efficient technologies. The company employs nearly 10,000 people across Kenya and one in five Kenyans has access to their product.

Across the continent, the firm delivers more than 330,000 solar kits each month — up from just 10,000 in 2017. In Kenya alone, Sun King’s sales have grown dramatically to more than 100,000 solar kits per month today.

Read also: Green energy revolution in Kenya: How solar power is transforming rural communities