KOT to Ruto: Lower cost of living before introducing cheap phones
By Wangu KanuriPresident William Ruto on Thursday announced that the government was working on a plan to have locally manufactured mobile phones in the next year.
The gadgets would cost less than Sh5,000, adding that the move would see Kenya boast of the cheapest smartphones in Africa and coincide with the government’s plan of leveraging technology.
Speaking at the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Annual General Meeting in Nairobi, Dr. Ruto cited that making the country fully connected technologically was among the primary agendas of the Kenya Kwanza government.
“The real last mile in technology is the gadget and already we are working with Telcos so that we can have a smartphone that is going to be less than Ksh.5,000 and that can do everything you want,” he said.
“We want to see if we can get it to Ksh.3,654 ($30) or Ksh.4,872 ($40). I want to promise the country that in the next 8 to 12 months we will have the cheapest smartphone in Africa, manufactured in Kenya.”
However, Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) asked him to beef up security and lower the cost of living, saying the cost of basic commodities was at its all-time high.
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Others praised his innovation, saying it was a step in the right direction.
Great ideas, great intentions. Now he just needs to add governance to it. Kenya can and will be a better place with @WilliamsRuto
— Nyawira (@LilyFloret) November 10, 2022
President William Ruto wants us to have the CHEAPEST phone in Africa, manufactured in Kenya in the next 8 or 12 months, but when it comes to LOWERING the cost of UNGA he needs more years?
— Bianca™ (@Biancawamu2) November 10, 2022
Kenyans do not eat phones and internet. Ask Nabii to address the high cost of living. Unga,salad,Sugar,Tissue,Sabuni,Food prices to come down first.
— Odinga Mandela (@Mandela_O1) November 10, 2022
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So William Ruto needs 8 months to have cheap smartphones but reducing the cost of living is where he draws the line 😔 who's interested in cheap smartphones? We can easily buy expensive phones when economy is conducive
— Edwinmbosso (@Edwinmbosso51) November 10, 2022
Can we have food prices lowered first before the CHEAP Ruto Phone is available in the market. #justthinking
— Hon. Stephen M Ngumi (@hon_ngumi) November 10, 2022
A good move to the right direction
Manufacturing is the future— eric soo (@Sooeric93) November 10, 2022
Ndio maana tulikuwa tunataka akili kama hii🤝
— 54Kmo (@54Kmo) November 10, 2022
@Biancawamu2 …to be fair it takes time yo grow a good crop …the earliest kenyans can expect food prices to drop is august next year when cheap fertilizer and good april rains would force prices down…this short rains may not have the required impact
— Arnold ngari nganga (@leokesho1) November 10, 2022
That is just diversification of business streams to generate incomes and provide for employment. Agriculture boost is already ongoing to bring down food costs. So, working on other income revenue streams is smart to boost the economy….it's the billionaire mindset 🤷❣️
— Eunice Muchilwa (@EuniceMuchilwa) November 10, 2022
The food issue is bit complicated… food grows, you cant manufacture it from nothing, unlike phone. Also, food supply chains have many conflicting human interests.
— Awesam (@samutinda) November 10, 2022
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While commissioning the Housing Project in Kibra, the Head of State asked Kenyans to be patient with him as he worked round the clock to lower the cost of living.
Saying that the cost of maize flour was a consequence of the old regime, Dr. Ruto shared, “The (Unga) prices went up because of the mess created by the former government but I will resolve that in the next year. We’ve started the process by giving farmers 1.4 million bags of subsidized fertilizer.”
However, during the campaigning period, Ruto promised to lower the cost of unga blaming former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga for the high cost of living.
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