Kenya's new USB Type-C charger rule will not affect devices already in the market, CA says

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has moved to reassure the public that its new USB Type-C charging standard will not affect phones already in use, in transit, or currently on sale in Kenya.

CA Board Chairman Charles Karondo made the clarification while speaking in Kiharu, Murang'a County, following widespread concern that Kenyans would be forced to replace their devices.

"For phones already in the market, those we are currently using, or those currently on ships or planes arriving, we have no problem with those," Karondo said.

The directive was published on March 24, 2026, in the CA's Technical Specifications for Mobile Cellular Devices, 2026, signed off by Director General David Mugonyi.

It states: "The charging solution for mobile cellular devices shall be USB Type-C."

The rule applies to all equipment vendors, manufacturers, local assemblers, and buyers seeking type-approval, the process all devices must pass before they can be legally sold or distributed in Kenya.

Karondo added that the CA has formally engaged manufacturers globally, instructing that any device seeking type-approval from this point forward must be fitted with a USB Type-C port.

Retailers can continue selling existing stock.

Phones already purchased remain fully legal.

The rule only applies when a manufacturer or importer applies for fresh CA approval for a new device.

The sharpest impact falls on the mass-market feature phone segment.

Low-cost handsets locally known as kabambe, which dominate entry-level sales and are widely used in rural Kenya, almost universally carry Micro-USB ports and retail at between Sh500 and Sh3,000.

Under the new specifications, such devices will not be approved for importation going forward.

Older Apple devices face the same wall.

iPhones released before the iPhone 15, which launched in September 2023, use Apple's proprietary Lightning connector.

Apple only switched to USB-C on that model to comply with EU legislation. Those older models will not meet the CA's new requirements.

The directive draws on European Union Directive 2022/2380, which required all new portable electronic devices sold across the EU to adopt a single charging standard, a rule that took effect in December 2024.

Kenya joins a growing list of countries on the same path, including Saudi Arabia, which began a phased USB-C rollout from January 2025, and India, which mandated the standard for smartphones and tablets from mid-2025.

The CA's new specifications go further than the charging port.

All devices must now meet a minimum battery performance of eight hours of talk time and 24 hours on standby.

Manufacturers are also barred from using hazardous materials, including lead, mercury, and cadmium, in device production.