Kenya’s electronics market is getting a rulebook overhaul, and if you’ve ever bought a phone that broke down two months later with no one to call, this is worth paying attention to.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has rewritten the terms under which shops and online sellers are allowed to sell phones, laptops, tablets, and similar low-power communication devices.
The new terms come through what’s called the Communication Equipment Vendor Class License, and they change what buyers can expect and what sellers are now required to do.
The biggest shift is on warranties. Every device sold in Kenya now needs a minimum 1-year warranty, and that warranty has to come with a return policy. Sellers also can’t just hand over the device and disappear.
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They’re required to offer after-sales support and customer service for as long as the warranty lasts, and they have to work with a licensed distributor to make that happen.
On paperwork, every sale, whether it happens in a shop or online, now needs an official receipt. That receipt has to list the seller’s name, the device model, the serial number, and the warranty period.
This is important because it’s the proof you’d need if something goes wrong and you want the warranty honored.
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Online sellers get their own set of obligations. They now have to publish a real physical address, a working email, and a phone number, so customers actually have a way to reach them instead of chasing a storefront that only exists on a website.
The refurbished phone and laptop market is getting cleaned up as well. Any device sold as refurbished must be clearly and permanently labeled as such on its packaging, so buyers know upfront what they’re getting instead of finding out later.
There are rules further up the supply chain too. Vendors can only buy stock from licensed distributors, and every device they sell must be type approved or accepted by the Authority.
High power radio equipment like VSAT, VHF, UHF, and HF gear, along with things like PABX systems, is excluded from this license and needs separate authorization altogether.
Sellers also have to keep compliance records for 3 years, set up a system for handling customer complaints, and give buyers guidance on disposing of old electronics responsibly.
Advertising claims about a device’s features or network compatibility now have to be accurate and something the seller can actually back up.
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The Authority isn’t just issuing these rules and walking away. It has the power to inspect vendors, audit their records, and demand reports at any time.
Businesses that don’t comply face fines of up to 0.2% of their annual turnover, with a floor of KES 500,000, which is steep enough that most sellers will have little choice but to fall in line.
For everyday buyers, the practical upshot is that a phone or laptop bought in Kenya should now come with a real warranty, a receipt that actually protects you, and a seller who’s reachable if something breaks.
