Sun King’s KSh60-a-Day Made in Kenya Smartphone: The Highlights

Sun King has launched the , its first locally assembled, entry-level smartphone.

To own one, you’ll be required to deposit KSh2,999 upfront and commit to KSh60 daily payments.

The company says it aims to make smartphone ownership affordable for millions of Kenyans priced out by high costs.

“lipa pole pole” plan is designed to spread the cost over time, making smartphones accessible for low-income earners.

This way, the model removes the biggest barrier to smartphone ownership in terms of the large cash payment required to buy a phone outright.

While the total cost over time may be higher than paying upfront, the daily payment is designed to fit into regular household spending.

The EZ 1 is the company’s first Sun King-branded smartphone and is manufactured at its newly opened facility in Nairobi, marking a significant step into local electronics production.

The device comes with 4GB of RAM and an additional 4GB of virtual RAM, 128GB of internal storage expandable to 256GB, and a 6.56-inch HD+ display.

The phone has a 13-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front camera, a 5,000mAh battery, and includes both fingerprint and facial recognition.

Sun King also bundles free data on activation, daily data for 60 days, and a warranty.

For everyday use, such as WhatsApp, mobile money, online browsing, and small business activity, the device’s specifications are practical.

Sun King says the EZ 1 is built for reliability and long battery life, key concerns for users in areas with unstable electricity or limited access to charging.

Behind the launch is Sun King’s new manufacturing facility, opened in October 2025, which the company says can produce up to 700,000 units a year.

While many phones sold in Kenya are imported, local assembly is increasingly seen as a way to lower costs, create jobs, and strengthen domestic manufacturing. Sun King joins a growing list of companies assembling devices locally as Kenya positions itself as a regional production hub.

Sun King’s expansion into smartphones reflects a broader shift in how the company views its role. With electricity access improving across the country, the next challenge is digital access.

Smartphones are now central to daily life, but their cost still locks many people out of the digital economy. By combining local assembly with flexible financing, Sun King is betting it can close that gap.

The move also puts Sun King into direct competition with other pay-as-you-go device sellers already active in Kenya.

The company’s advantage lies in its extensive rural agent network and long-standing relationships with customers who already use its solar products.

In many cases, the same system used to finance and manage solar payments is now being applied to phones.

Critics of pay-as-you-go phones often point to the “poverty penalty,” where buyers end up paying far more over time than the cash price. Sun King does not deny this, but argues that access matters more than the headline cost for customers who simply cannot afford an upfront payment.

For Sun King, the EZ 1 represents a shift from powering homes to powering connection.

For many Kenyans, it could mean a first smartphone, paid for in small daily steps, opening the door to digital services that are increasingly impossible to live without.

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