The Associated Vehicle Assemblers (AVA) Ltd, located at Miritini in Mombasa County, assembles more than 4,000 vehicles every year for world-leading brands, including Fuso, Toyota, Proton, Mahindra, Hino, Scania, Tata, Bieben, Volvo, Daewoo and Bajaj.
The plant was inaugurated in 1975 and has an installed production capacity of 30,000 units per annum. It accounts for approximately 65 percent of all assembled vehicles in Kenya. To date, AVA has produced more than 150,000 vehicles.
More than 20 source manufacturers around the world have endorsed AVA for its quality of international standards. The company is the focal and premier assembly point for completely knocked down (CKD) units in East Africa. AVA is also the only plant in East and Central Africa with the capacity to assemble armoured vehicles.
With the anticipated implementation of the National Automotive Policy, local assembly of different vehicles will increase.
We have seen the launch of Kenya’s first fully built saloon vehicle — the Proton Saga — and assembly of new models of pick-ups by different manufacturers, like the Toyota Hilux and Mahindra Scorpio.
As we step into a new era for the business and in line with our innovative strategy, we have freshened up the AVA logo as we look to launch AVA 2.0. This is a new look and feel walks hand in hand with our renewed focus to grow our product line and position AVA as the premier Vehicle Assembler in the East and Central African markets.
Currently, AVA employs more than 350 permanent staff and another 150 contractors brought in periodically based on the volume of work. This is expected to grow by at least 50 percent as the new models take off.
In line with the government’s support of localisation, AVA is looking to enter the manufacturing sector to produce quality local content using the latest technology that will satisfy the high standards demanded by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
Additionally, AVA is moving into bodybuilding for different models, like trucks and buses. This will mean that by the time the truck or bus leaves the assembly plant, it will be ready for use.
As AVA, we are moving into the assembly of fibreglass boats, which will be available for different applications and needs across the country, to be used on rivers, lakes and even in the Indian Ocean. We are working and experimenting on how we can assemble electric vehicles and to mass-produce them locally for the Kenyan market.
We have a new Innovation and Technology department to identify new technologies around the world and to onboard those supporting our automotive industry.
To support the expected growth, AVA is investing heavily in the youth by expanding its Training Academy to develop electrical, mechanical, quality and technical skills for use in R&D, assembly and component manufacturing.
The Training Academy enables our employees to upscale their skills in different areas. This also includes being able to train via video conferencing from any source manufacturer across the world. This way, our local teams learn and practise.
