Kenya builds weapon factory to handle growing security threat
Tuesday, 13 April 2021 15:11
(Ecofin Agency) - On April 8, Kenya inaugurated its very first firearms manufacturing plant. The launching ceremony took place in the presence of the Head of State himself, Uhuru Kenyatta.
The facility is located in the city of Ruiru and has an annual capacity of 12,000 weapons. It will run 60% with local raw materials. The output of this more than $37 million investment will mainly be used to equip the local security forces, helping them to better fight the growing security threat in the country.
With this investment, Kenya could in the long run become a gun exporter. Nairobi seeks, through this strategy, to reduce the costs of acquiring weapons on external markets. These costs have risen in recent years after terrorist attacks by the Islamist group al-Shabab, which prompted the authorities to strengthen the national internal security and defense against external aggression.