Nairobi — Kenya has made history after the official opening of East Africa's first smart card manufacturing facility in Nairobi, a milestone expected to boost jobs, reduce imports and strengthen the country's position as a regional technology hub.
The new SecureID Kenya plant is the first and only card embedding technology factory in East Africa.
It will produce and personalize banking cards, telecom SIM cards and government identity cards locally.
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The launch marks a major shift for Kenya and the wider region, which has for years relied on overseas suppliers for critical payment and identity products.
SecureID Founder and Executive Chairlady Kofo Akinkugbe said the investment is a sign of confidence in Kenya and Africa's ability to solve its own challenges.
"This facility is a commitment to East Africa, a commitment to local capacity, and a commitment to building solutions in Africa, for Africa, and for the world," she said during the commissioning ceremony in Nairobi.
She revealed that the company plans to invest $20 million in phases, with the first round already underway.
Akinkugbe added that the company expects to hire about 150 workers within two years, with the number projected to rise to 400 jobs as operations expand.
- Why Kenya was chosen -
Akinkugbe said her journey to invest in Kenya began in 2018 when she visited the country.
"At the time, I wasn't looking to invest. But Kenya had other plans. The environment was right, the opportunity was real," she said.
She described Nairobi as one of Africa's most dynamic innovation hubs, saying Kenya represents "vision, resilience and leadership in digital transformation."
The facility is expected to cut Kenya's dependence on imported bank cards, SIM cards, passports and identity products, which have cost African countries millions of dollars every year.
"Africa spends billions printing cards, passports and ID documents that it could make itself," Akinkugbe said.
"Those billions leave the continent, taking jobs, skills and self-respect with them."
She added that producing such items locally will help keep value, expertise and innovation within Africa.
SecureID said local production will mean faster delivery for banks, telecom firms and government agencies.
Instead of waiting weeks for cards produced abroad, institutions can now receive personalized products within days.
The company said the Nairobi facility will offer faster turnaround times, lower logistics costs, enhance global quality standards, bolster better protection of sensitive data and also boost for Financial Inclusion
Chief guest Habil Olaka, Chairman of the Financial Inclusion Fund Advisory Board, said the factory will support Kenya's financial inclusion agenda.
"Access is no longer just about opening accounts. It is about enabling people to identify themselves, access services and transact securely," he said.
Olaka said local production will also protect Kenya from supply chain disruptions caused by global conflicts or shipping delays.
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"When critical components are imported, delays and disruptions affect the entire system. Local production improves reliability and continuity," he said.
Olaka said the facility further cements Kenya's growing role as a financial and digital gateway for the region.
"Kenya is increasingly becoming a hub not just for finance, but for digital infrastructure serving the region," he said.
He added that the factory positions Kenya strongly within the East African Community, COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The opening ceremony brought together business leaders, government officials, diplomats and industry players, highlighting the importance of the investment.
Guests also toured the high-security plant before an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
