KENYA – Moi University launched a range of ICT devices assembled at Moi University’s Rivatex Complex in Eldoret town under the brand name MU.
MU technologies Digital Assembly Plant launched new products namely MU Fortune Slim Book and MU Trigono which are both 360° convertible laptops.
Others are MU Fortune Slim desktop, MU Fortune Liva Z Plus Vpro which is a mini PC, MU Fortune desktop, MU Fortune All in One, MU Fortune Workstation and MU Fortune Workbook.
These were a number of laptops, desktop computers, and all-in-one devices. They are Windows 10 devices and are powered by Intel chips. The cheapest device starts at KES 50,000 (US$500).
The launch of the devices marked a broader unveiling of an assembly facility at Moi University that was inaugurated by President Uhuru Kenyatta a couple of months ago.
The assembly line was set up in collaboration with JP.IK, a global organization, serves as a technology enabler in terms of accessing and transferring knowledge.
The laptops are put up well, and quite thin for first-generation products. All of them have touch-sensitive displays and support for a stylus.
The University says that the devices can compete with the likes of DELL, HP, and Lenovo, although that is too ambitious a statement. DELL, for instance, has been around for decades and is a far more experienced manufacturer than the team at Moi University.
The facility at Moi University is has a call centre that will ensure that customer issues are resolved in a timely manner. Also, there is a team of 12 trained technicians that will make sure faulty devices are fixed.
Twelve is a small number, but the facility says the team will be replenished with more members.
The facility has the capacity to produce 4,500 devices per day, translating to more than 100,000 devices a month. There are 300 direct employees at the US$5 million assembly line.
The facility can accommodate 1000 employees at full capacity, but the challenge is pushing demand in the Kenyan space to hire more people. This is the same institution that has been assembling products for the Digital Literacy program.
“With the world changing technologically at such a fast rate, the job market is going to demand new skills. This plant is going to address job creation in the digital economy,” said Nick Broda, the head of worldwide sales for Jp.ik.
Susan Mbogo, the general manager for Intel in East Africa, said the plant was necessary in preparing students for next-generation jobs.
“It is part of our mission to ensure each child is ‘innovation ready’ in order to add value to their existing skill,” Ms Mbogo said.
