A viral video showing Jua Kali artisans painting used laptops and repackaging them sparked mixed reactions on Monday, March 13.
In the video, one of the technicians working on the laptops could be heard revealing that they would be selling them in various electronic shops across the country.
The refurbishing was taking place inside an container at undisclosed location, which looked like a dingy slum within Nairobi.
A number of Kenyans argued that the laptops would be substandard and should not be on the market.
Kenyans.co.ke spoke to Kennedy Langat, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jukebox Technologies a company specializing in importing refurbished laptops from the UK, seeking clarity on concerns from the viral video.
“There is nothing wrong with what is happening in the video, it is just that Kenyans have developed a fear of buying products that are made or assembled in Kenya,” he told Kenyans.co.ke.
“These are used laptops which were imported to Kenya before they were refurbished and now they are being refurbished locally," he added.
Langat explained that this was exactly the same process as how laptops are refurbished in the UK and other first-world countries.
“The only difference is that in the UK they have better warehouses but the process is exactly the same,” he assured Kenyans.
Why import un-refurbished laptops?
Langat explained that electronic dealers were increasingly opting to refurbish phones and laptops locally.
“When you import an un-refurbished laptop, you get it at a lower price and this gives you bigger profit margins,” Langat explained.
“Also refurbishing takes time, if someone wants 1000 laptops, he might have to wait a significant time for the order to arrive in Kenya.
“Instead of waiting, he can buy them directly and have them refurbished locally which saves time,” he added.
How is the refurbishing done?
The Jukebox Technologies CEO explained that there are two ways to refurbish a laptop.
“You can put a sticker on the body of the laptop, this makes the laptop look new even though it might be scratched inside,” he explained.
Langat revealed that the sticker is a replica of the laptop model such that most people never realize that the outer cover of their laptop is not original.
“The second way to refurbish a laptop is painting it using the original colour of the laptop which is the case happening on the video,” the CEO explained further.
Could the laptops in the video be stolen?
Langat dismissed concerns from Kenyans that the laptops being refurbished could be stolen.
“If you look keenly, the laptops are the same model and are even in boxes.
“Where can you steal over 100 used laptops of the same model which are already packaged?” he posed.
Advantages of refurbishing laptops locally
The Jukebox Technologies CEO explained that refurbishing laptops locally is one way to create employment and a path towards economic stability.
“There are people who import between 600-1000 refurbished laptops every week. Imagine how many people can be employed locally if the process was being done in Kenya?” he explained.
“The cars you see on our roads are refurbished. If refurbishing can be done in Kenya even for cars, imagine how big the industry would be. How many people could it employ?” he posed.
Langat further added that refurbishing laptops were good for the environment as well as cost-efficient.
“Clients are sometimes forced to buy a new laptop after a small problem as a result of low/absence of refurbishing skills locally.
“We could save money by refurbishing our broken laptops instead of doing away with them, it is costly financially and harmful o the environment. Refurbishing encourages reusing what is available,” he enlightened Kenyans
The difference between a refurbished and a new laptop.
Since most refurbished laptops look just as new, Langat explained the sure way to know a refurbished laptop is to look at generation.
“Currently we are on the 12th generation. If you compare it to cars, there is no way you can buy a car manufactured in 2015 or 2005 and say it is new even if it is in the showroom,” the CEO remarked.
