The government of Kenya is in negotiations with Apple Inc to discuss possible investment opportunities in the country. After the Kenya-US business roundtable in San Francisco, discussions between the government and Apple resumed.
The negotiations are now taking place through online conferences.
Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, MBS Principal Secretary, State Department for ICT and Digital Economy, wrote: “Just had a fruitful follow-up online meeting with Apple following the recently concluded US-KE San Francisco Tech-Roadshow. Delighted to share that we engaged in promising discussions regarding Apple’s potential investment and expansion of its operations in Kenya.”
In addition to him, Alfred Ombudo K’Ombudo, the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Trade in Kenya, as well as Naomi Birika and Phobe Mshai, both of the State Department for Trade in Kenya, were present at the meeting.
Ali Khanafer, Apple’s Head of Government Affairs, was the company’s representative at the meeting. The specifics of what was talked about won’t be revealed just yet.
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The proposed investment of Apple Inc
While in San Francisco, Kenyan Vice President and Deputy President William Ruto promoted his country as a desirable location for investment by providing the following pitch to IT companies: “If you set up in Kenya, your African footprint is guaranteed.”
“Kenya is a full package investment destination; economically stable, entrepreneurial, secure, innovative with a favourable tax environment, skilled labour force, technological expertise, green energy credentials and a gateway for six undersea fibre-optic cables providing reliable data connectivity,” the president said.
The president expressed excitement at the prospect of Apple collaborating with the government to foster innovation and start-up growth in Kenya. President Ruto also indicated that the computer giant was investigating the possibility of setting up a green data centre in Kenya. Apple will investigate the possibility of utilising this market in order to accomplish the company’s sustainability objectives.
This was said by Apple’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who also discussed the idea of establishing a developer’s academy in Kenya. Tim Cook also proposed green data centres.
It was during this visit that the President of Kenya made the announcement that M-Pesa would be partnering with Apple. It is anticipated that the agreement will further expand M-Pesa’s presence around the globe.
The meeting is evidence that preparations are being made for the possibility of a collaboration.
About Apple Inc
Apple Inc. is a multinational technology firm based in Cupertino, California, that is owned and operated in the United States. With a revenue of $394.3 billion in 2022, Apple is the most successful technological business in terms of revenue in the entire world. The computer giant is the most valuable firm in the world as of March 2023, according to its market value.
The computer giant is the greatest manufacturing company in terms of revenue and the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world as of June 2022. Apple is the fourth-largest personal computer vendor in terms of unit sales. One of the “Big Five” American information technology corporations, along with Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft, is commonly referred to as “Microsoft.”
On April 1, 1976, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs (1955–2011), and Ronald Wayne established the company, initially under the name Apple Computer Company, with the intention of creating and marketing Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer. In 1977, Jobs and Wozniak became the company’s first shareholders and founded Apple Computer, Inc.
In August 2018, the computer giant became the first publicly traded corporation in the United States to have a valuation of more than $1 trillion. In August of 2020, it reached $2 trillion, and in January of 2022, it reached $3 trillion. In June of 2023, the valuation was just slightly higher than $3 trillion.
The business is criticised for its anti-competitive business practices and the way it sources its raw materials, as well as for its environmental practices and labour practices of its contractors and employees. Despite this, the company has a sizable fan base and a significant amount of devoted customers who are committed to the brand. In addition to that, again and over again, it has been rated as one of the most valuable brands in the entire globe.