Kenyan laptop conceptualized and assembled in the country to officially launch

Back in 2013, Jomo Kenyatta University University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in collaboration with Public and private industry partners set out to conceptualize six pillars towards an end to end solution for ICT integration in education;

  • Policy and strategy
  • Hardware, software and applications
  • Curriculum, e-content and e-books
  • Training and capacity building
  • Technical support and connectivity
  • e-waste management

Under the hardware pillar, JKUAT began assembling desktop computers in 2006, the E-MADO brand, in partnership with Ministry of Industrialization and other public/private partners, a Kenya Vision 2030 flagship project under JKUAT.

JKUAT assembled 1200 desktop computers under a taxation regime that favored imported computers than locally assembled and stopped assembling in 2010.The University re-calibrated and began pursuing the one laptop per child (OLPC) model of MIT in the USA. The model received a major boost from the pursuit of laptops for schools project in 2013.

Thus far, the institution has designed a medium and scalable assembly line and set aside land under its Industrial Park for its construction. The assembly plant is designed with a capacity of 4500 units per day. JKUAT developed a blueprint for the project and bid twice in 2013.

JKUAT aims at producing for her students/staff needs, needs in higher education and supporting the ICT integration in education project. JKUAT launched her laptops for students project in October 2013.

The university has remained steadfast in the pursuit of the local assembly of electronics and now has begun assembling laptops- the TAIFA Brand Laptop with 4000 units for the JKUAT students laptop project.

The official launch

The project of the Nairobi industrial and technology park (NITP) being implemented in conjunction with JKUAT for the first Kenyan Laptop will officially be launched Friday June 12, 2015 by ICT Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i.

Also, university representatives, Taifa Brand, NITP and Intel Corporation will grace the event at Fairmont the Norfolk. The laptops will henceforth be available to the general public after the release.

Winfred Kuria854 Posts

Winfred Kuria is a self-constituted web content writer in charge of Tech News and Events Publicity at Kachwanya.com. She will communicate in the simplest way possible with an aim of changing the world one mind at a time.

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