Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) has introduced new licensing conditions requiring dealers to clearly label all refurbished phones, laptops, and other electronic communications equipment sold in the country, as part of a broader push to tighten consumer protection in the electronics market.
Under the updated Communications Equipment Vendor (CEV) Class License guidelines, the packaging of every refurbished electronic communications device must be clearly and permanently labelled as “Refurbished” in a manner visible to end users. The rule covers devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, set-top boxes, remote devices, and tracking equipment.
The move targets the growing trade in used and reconditioned gadgets imported from markets such as the UAE, the US, and the UK, where dealers have often offered warranties as short as one month, leaving buyers with little recourse if devices develop faults.
Alongside the labeling requirement, all electronic communications equipment sold in Kenya must now carry a minimum one year warranty with a return policy, and vendors must provide after sales services for the full warranty period. Businesses that fail to comply face fines equivalent to 0.2 percent of annual turnover, with a minimum penalty of Sh500,000.
The CA has also tightened rules around sales documentation. Vendors must issue official receipts listing the seller’s name, device model, serial number, and warranty period for every transaction, whether online or in store. Online sellers must additionally publish a physical address, email, and phone number so customers can seek support or file complaints.
To curb counterfeit and substandard devices entering the market, vendors will only be permitted to source equipment from licensed importers and sell devices that are type approved, type accepted, or exempted from type approval by the regulator.
The labeling directive follows years of murkier practices in the refurbishment trade. Some dealers refurbishing laptops locally have applied replica stickers matching the original model onto scratched or worn units, making the devices appear new even when their outer casing isn’t original a practice that left many buyers unaware of what they were actually purchasing. The new labeling rule directly addresses that gap by making disclosure mandatory rather than left to a dealer’s discretion.
The tightening of retail rules also builds on recent moves by the CA to formalize the broader supply chain. The regulator recently introduced a Communications Equipment Distributor (CED) license requiring any entity that imports or distributes communications equipment on a wholesale basis to be licensed before it can operate, with equipment then eligible for type approval and clearance through the TradeNet system.
