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Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, opened a new small arms factory worth USD 37 million in Kiambu County as the country aims to improve self-reliance on security and defense equipment, according to a report by DefenceWeb.

The factory that was opened on April 8 in Ruiru has a capacity to manufacture over 12,000 assault rifles in a day and by 2022 it will focus on 7.62 mm assault rifles and 9 mm pistols.

Kenyatta said that the factory draws 60% of its input from local sources as the country aims to enhance self-reliance in the country's security through local production of technologies and equipment in line with the Vision 2030 programs and Big 4 Agenda.

He further said that the factory would cut the cost of acquiring weapons for the country's security agencies and would establish a sustainable national security manufacturing base that would also provide jobs for the youth of the country.

"This ground breaking initiative will allow us to lay the foundation for addressing the high cost of weapons acquisition, free us from the complex foreign export approval processes currently in place, provide Kenya with greater security sector independence and flexibility, and allow Kenya to design and produce high-quality weapons, customized to our unique needs and operating environments... I am also pleased to note that the diligence of our security organs has delivered this project well under budget, with the project having been completed at a cost of about Ksh4 billion [$36.9 million] against private sector quotes of Ksh15 billion [$138 million], a saving of Ksh11 billion [$101 million]," Kenyatta said.

As reported the President, through the arms factory, aims to create a weapons manufacturing surplus that would allow the country to export security equipment in the longer run.

"This will not only boost our balance of trade position, it will also create employment for thousands of Kenyans, in addition to creating a skill and technology environment that will drive transformation in civilian industries," he added.