The Communications Authority of Kenya is set to intensify scrutiny on mobile devices as government sets sights on using the avenue to broaden tax base.
To achieve this the regulator, has announced new measures aimed at ensuring tax compliance and integrity for mobile devices in Kenya.
Effective from January 1, 2025, the new regulations will affect all stakeholders involved in the assembly, importation, distribution, and connection of mobile devices to local networks.
Under the new rules, local mobile device assemblers will be required to upload the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of their assembled devices to a portal provided by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), ensuring that these devices meet tax compliance standards.
Importers, similarly, will need to disclose the IMEI numbers in their import documents submitted to the KRA.
The regulator says this is necessary for registering devices in the National Master Database of Tax-Compliant Devices.
“To ensure integrity and tax compliance of the mobile devices in Kenya, the Authority hereby notifies all stakeholders, including mobile network operators, involved in the local assembly, importation, distribution as well as connection of mobile devices to local networks, that with effect from January 1", 2025, the following requirements will apply for all mobile phone devices in Kenya,” said CA in statement leaked by government advisor Moses Kuria.The new changes will see retailers and wholesalers become responsible for ensuring that all mobile devices they sell or distribute are tax compliant.
The CA will provide a system for verifying the tax compliance status of devices before purchase.
Mobile network operators will only be permitted to connect compliant devices to their networks, as verified by a whitelist of devices provided by the Authority.
Non-compliant devices will be subject to gray-listing, giving their owners a set period to regularize them, or else face blacklisting.
“Operators will also be required to provide for the gray-listing of non-compliant devices to facilitate regularization within a prescribed period, failure to which the devices will thereafter be blacklisted,” read the statement.“The new requirements will only apply to all devices imported or assembled in the country from November 1″, 2024. All existing devices that will be on the Mobile Networks by 31 October 2024 will not be affected.”
