The cost of smartphones in Uganda is likely to be much less following government’s plan to have a local assembly plant kick off next year.
Uganda will partner with an American company CTI Africa arm-LifeMobile which was unveiled yesterday by the Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite, at the National Enterprises Corporation (NEC) headquarters in Bugolobi, Kampala.
“We are very excited that CTI Africa is going to start assembling mobile phones in Uganda. Ugandans are carrying so many mobile phones but none is manufactured here. So, if Ugandans buy these phones, we will diversify our economy because the dollars that would be spent on importing smart phones will be used here,” she said.
NEC was tasked by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to locate a company government will liaise with in executing this project.
“Already NEC allocated LifeMobile a site on 6th Street in Industrial Area where the assembling plant will be built,” Anite added.
President Yoweri Kaguta Myseveni will launch the first LifeMobile smart phones early next year.
The CTI Africa chief executive officer, Michael Landau, said during the assembling of the phones they would also help develop specialised applications to improve healthcare, mobile banking, insurance, micro-finance and education services.
Over $10 million is expected to be invested in this project and in return create over 400 jobs for Ugandans.
The American company has partnered with Jubilee Insurance for insurance services, Jumia Uganda for e-commerce, Ecobank and Micro-finance Support Centre for e-banking, Medical Concierge and Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau for healthcare services.
NEC Managing Director Maj. Gen. James Mugira, said the LifeMobile’s presence in Uganda is a symbolic moment.