The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) moved quickly on March 26 to contain a wave of public alarm triggered by its own March 24 notice on USB-C ports, clarifying that its new technical specifications for mobile devices do not ban cheap phones, do not require Kenyans to discard existing devices, and do not target any income group.
What the notice actually does is state that from March 24, 2026, any mobile phone, tablet, or smartphone seeking type approval for sale or importation into Kenya must use a USB Type-C charging port with a detachable cable.
“Phones and tablets that were already type-approved before March 24, 2026, or that are already in circulation and in use by Kenyans, remain fully legal,” the CA stated.
Devices already in shipment and en route to Kenya are also unaffected.
The rule has been coming for years. The European Union mandated USB-C across all new devices from 2024, a decision that triggered a global supply chain shift.
READ: CA Will Charge All Electronic Imports, Whether for Business or Personal Use, a Permit Processing Fee
Device manufacturers, including those producing budget feature phones (Kabambe) and Android phones popular in Kenya, have already moved to USB-C across their lineups.
Itel, Tecno, Infinix, and similar brands targeting the Kenyan mass market now ship virtually all new models with USB-C as standard.
The Kenyan rule is therefore aligning with a manufacturing reality that the market has already absorbed.
It is a mandate that comes with real consumer benefits. A single charger working across phones, laptops, and tablets reduces the cost of owning multiple cables, cuts electronic waste from discarded proprietary chargers, and simplifies charging in shared households.
This is a practical gain for the average Kenyan consumer, and the panic seems to have been louder than the policy warranted.
iPhone Refurb Market
Those who may have some concerns are iPhone users who rely on the refurb market. The high cost of flagship devices, such as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, places premium hardware beyond reach for many buyers.
iPhone enthusiasts (about 4% of the Kenyan market) often turn to certified units of the older models, selling at a lower price.
For those in this market niche, it means the iPhone 14 and earlier models will no longer be imported into Kenya. All iPhone models from the iPhone 15 series (released 2023) onwards use USB-C.
