Sun King, Kenya’s leading solar and energy-efficient appliances company, has inaugurated its first large-scale manufacturing facility in Africa at Tatu City, marking a major step in the country’s journey toward sustainable industrialisation and clean energy leadership.
The new 7,600-square-metre plant integrates manufacturing, refurbishment, and warehousing in a single facility and has an annual production capacity of up to 700,000 units. Designed for scalability, it will serve as a central hub for Sun King’s operations in Kenya and across Africa.
According to Sun King, this investment will help localise manufacturing, shorten supply chains, and substitute more than USD 150 million in imports over the next five years — keeping more jobs and value within Kenya’s economy.
“Opening our own manufacturing facility in Kenya gives us the scale to deliver more efficiently, the flexibility to innovate faster, and the foundation to grow a resilient manufacturing ecosystem here in Africa,” said Kota Kojima, Chief Operating Officer, Sun King. “For our customers, it means faster access to quality products made closer to home.”
Boosting Kenya’s Industrial Vision
The launch ceremony drew top government and private sector leaders, underscoring the project’s alignment with national industrial priorities.
Among those present were Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Principal Secretary in the State Department of Industry, and Eng. Isaac Kiva, Secretary for Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy, alongside senior representatives from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), NEMA, KEBS, and major financial institutions such as KCB, Absa, Stanbic, and Citi Bank.
“I want to thank Sun King for the courage and confidence they have shown,” said Dr. Juma Mukhwana, PS, State Department of Industry. “This milestone is a symbol of growing confidence in Kenya’s local manufacturing. It is fully aligned with the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”
Sun King’s investment directly supports Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritise manufacturing and job creation as drivers of inclusive growth.
From Solar Power to Smartphones
Sun King, headquartered in Nairobi, designs and finances a range of solar-powered products and energy-efficient appliances, including televisions, fans, freezers, and smartphones designed to operate seamlessly on solar systems.
The Tatu City facility will begin by producing televisions and smartphones, with plans to expand into additional product lines as capacity grows.
“At Sun King, we’re driven by a simple commitment: to deliver the best-quality products at prices that families and businesses in Kenya and across Africa can afford,” said T. Patrick Walsh, CEO and Co-Founder, Sun King. “This facility allows us to harness Kenya’s talent and ingenuity to keep delivering on that promise.”
By producing locally, Sun King aims to reduce logistics costs, enhance product accessibility, and contribute to the growth of Kenya’s renewable energy and electronics manufacturing ecosystem.
Job Creation and Skills Development
The new plant currently employs 90 people — 60% men and 40% women — with plans to expand to 350 employees within five years.
Sun King will partner with institutions such as the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and local universities to run internship and apprenticeship programs, offering trainees practical exposure to light manufacturing, process optimisation, and renewable technology assembly.
“This facility reflects Sun King’s long-term partnership with government and local communities to advance Africa’s manufacturing capability,” said Dr. Wale Aboyade, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Sun King. “Kenya has the policy vision, the talent, and the drive to lead this transformation.”
Powering Kenya’s Energy Transition
Sun King’s impact in Kenya has been transformative. The company now powers one in five Kenyan households through solar solutions and employs nearly 10,000 people nationwide.
Across Africa, Sun King delivers over 330,000 solar kits each month, up from just 10,000 in 2017 — a testament to the continent’s growing adoption of renewable energy technologies. In Kenya alone, monthly sales have surged to more than 100,000 units, highlighting the country’s position as a leader in off-grid energy access.
As Kenya works to expand manufacturing’s share of GDP and reduce reliance on imports, Sun King’s new plant represents a blueprint for green industrialisation — combining clean energy innovation with local job creation and sustainable production.
