NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 28 – Kenya has taken a major step towards ending the importation of bank cards, SIM cards and other secure identity products after the opening of a new smart card manufacturing factory in Nairobi.

The new SecureID Kenya plant is the first smart card production facility of its kind in East Africa and is expected to change how banks, telecom companies and government agencies source key products.

For years, many institutions in Kenya and across the region have relied on overseas suppliers for ATM cards, SIM cards and identity solutions.

The new factory now offers local production, faster delivery and reduced costs.

SecureID Founder and Executive Chairlady Kofo Akinkugbe said the investment is about keeping jobs, money and skills in Africa.

“Africa spends billions printing cards, passports and ID documents that it could make itself,” she said during the launch in Nairobi.

“Those billions leave the continent, taking jobs, skills and self-respect with them.”

The company said the Nairobi facility will help banks and telecom firms get products faster, with turnaround times expected to move from weeks to just days.

Akinkugbe said the factory is designed to solve real business challenges.

“Speed, cost efficiency, global standards and data sovereignty are part of the value we are bringing,” she said.

The plant will produce EMV-compliant banking cards, telecom SIM cards and government identity solutions.

Why Kenya was choosen

Akinkugbe said Kenya’s strong business environment and growing digital economy made it the right destination for the investment.

“I came to Kenya in 2018 as a visitor. I was not looking to invest, but the environment was right and the opportunity was real,” she said.

She described Nairobi as one of Africa’s leading innovation hubs.

The project is part of a broader $20 million phased investment and is expected to create hundreds of jobs.

SecureID said it plans to hire about 150 people within two years, with the number expected to rise to 400 workers as the business grows.

The company said the investment aligns with Kenya’s economic transformation agenda through industrial growth, skills transfer and job creation.

Chief guest Habil Olaka, Chairman of the Financial Inclusion Fund Advisory Board, said the facility will help strengthen Kenya’s financial system.

“When critical components are imported, delays and disruptions affect the entire system. Local production improves reliability and continuity,” he said.

Olaka added that Kenya is becoming a regional leader in digital infrastructure.

“Kenya is increasingly becoming a hub not just for finance, but for digital infrastructure serving the region,” he said.

The opening of the factory is expected to reduce dependence on imports while giving Kenya more control over critical payment and identity systems.

With demand for digital payments and secure identity solutions rising globally, the Nairobi facility could place Kenya at the centre of a fast-growing industry.

“We are not just commissioning a plant,” Olaka said.

“We are commissioning capacity, resilience and a little more control over our digital future.”