The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has directed all Kenyans dealing in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) equipment to conform with the necessary approval processes before embarking on selling or distributing the products.
In a notice issued on Monday, the Authority ordered members of the public including manufacturers, vendors, importers, and even service providers to register equipment intended for connection to the Public Switched Telecommunication Network (PSTN) before selling or using them.
According to CA, electronic equipment such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and other ICT gadgets must be registered before they can be sold, distributed, or used in the country.
The Communications Authority disclosed that the directive was aimed at safeguarding consumer health and safety, upholding public interest, and securing telecommunications networks in the country to ensure that they conform to both national and locally recognized international standards.
"In furtherance of its mandate of safeguarding consumer health and safety, upholding public interest, and securing telecommunications networks, the Authority type approves all ICT terminal equipment meant for use in the country to ensure that it conforms to both national and locally recognized international standards," the Authority revealed.
"To ensure conformity with the law, the Authority wishes to remind all stakeholders, including manufacturers, vendors, importers, service providers, and the general public, that any equipment intended for connection to the PSTN within Kenya must undergo the Type Approval process before it can be sold, distributed, or used in the country," CA added.
In its notice, the Authority warned that failure to comply with the type approval requirement would lead to legal penalties as outlined in the ICT sector laws.
The ICT Sector law is an act of parliament that provides for offences relating to computer systems including timely and effective detection, prohibition, prevention, response, investigation and prosecution of cyber related crimes.
According to the constitution, any person found culpable of contravening the ICT Sector law is liable to a prison sentence of three years or a fine of up to Ksh5 million in the case of an offence under section 7 or up to Ksh250,000.
The move comes amidst a surge in cases of cybercrime in the country. In August, the communications regulator claimed that in the past year, it recorded at least 860 million incidents of cyber attacks.
In its report, the Communications Authority raised concerns over the scale and sophistication of cyber crimes which it noted particularly targeted the country's critical information infrastructure.
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