On April 8 President Uhuru Kenyatta opened a gun manufacturing factory in Ruiru, Kenya.
The Small Arms Factory took Ksh. 4 billion to be set up. The factory is said to be offering direct jobs for 100 Kenyan and 1,100 other indirect jobs and and is part of the Manufacturing Pillar of the Big Four Agenda in Kenya.
“Covid-19 has taught us that international supply chains are vulnerable to disruption. We add another arrow to our security quiver. This sets stage for the progressive domestic manufacture of security equipment used by our nation,” said Uhuru Kenyatta during the commissioning.
The factory has a capacity of producing 12,000 assault rifles every year in a single shift a day with 60 percent of the components being produced in Kenya.
This is the second weapons manufacturing plant in Kenya after the Kenya Ordnance Factories Corporation (KOFC) which manufactures bullets in Eldoret. It was opened in 1997.
Other African countries which manufactures small arms include: Ethiopia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
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