M-Kopa, a Kenyan asset financing company, has established a significant smartphone assembly plant in Nairobi's Industrial Area, capable of producing over 7,500 devices daily. This initiative, launched in January 2023 and supported by over $590 million in funding, targets low-income Kenyans and responds to increased import duties on phones. Partnering with HMD Global, M-Kopa now focuses on its own branded smartphones, operating three assembly lines with a monthly capacity of 150,000 units. The factory also engages in refurbishing used phones, handling approximately 500 units per day. This local manufacturing push is driven by a government policy that zero-rates locally assembled phones, although manufacturers face challenges with VAT reclaim on imported components. M-Kopa has already exported 15,000 phones monthly to Uganda and aims to produce 10 million locally by 2027.