This archive report was first published on 29 December 2021.
December 29, 2021 - Nairobi, Kenya
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has launched a public consultation on proposed guidelines to combat counterfeit, stolen, and illegal ICT devices in the country.
According to a public notice, the general public, stakeholders, and interested parties have until January 27 to provide suggestions, justifications, views, and inputs to enhance the implementation of the guidelines.
CA Director General Ezra Chiloba noted that the review will aid in addressing technical, operational, and consumer issues that may arise during the implementation of the guidelines.
The proposed guidelines aim to protect consumers and the industry from the impact of illegal ICT devices in the market.
"Stakeholders, including the general public and all interested parties are invited to review the proposed guidelines for addressing counterfeit, stolen, and illegal ICT devices in Kenya (December 2021) and provide any suggestions," the regulator said.
CA also seeks to define procedures for detecting, tracking, and removing counterfeit and stolen devices from the market.
Another objective of the regulations is to ensure the protection of consumers and the industry from the impact of counterfeit, stolen, and illegal ICT devices in the market.
Among the proposals issued by CA include the deployment and maintenance of a device registration database, which will aid in identifying devices that have undergone a legal process of importation or acquisition locally or abroad.
"The Authority shall require all licensed vendors, local manufacturers, commercial importers, distributors, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and individuals importing ICT devices for use in Kenya to enter their device IMEI into the device registration database," CA said in its proposal.
