CCK WARNS RIVER ROAD FAKE PHONES PROGRAMMERS

The communication commission of Kenya has sounded a warning to all vendors reprogramming switched off counterfeit phones for reentry into the market. According to CCK director general Francis Wangusi the commission has received information that certain vendors in downtown Nairobi have been revamping the fake phones and is currently tracking them together with the relevant authorities for prosecution. According to the commission communication of Kenya statistics over 1.4 million fake handsets had been turned off by last Friday by various network providers in the country. Among those switched off it has emerged included certain genuine handsets most of which had been issued for testing by network providers as well as a number of handsets offered to users by international phone providers under contract only to enter the country illegally. And with thousands of Kenyans affected by the switch off it is also emerging that a number of crafty Kenyans from downtown Nairobi have started restoring the turned off handsets. The commission is now warning any such individuals risk imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of 1 million shillings is caught. Speaking at the same function which was discussing the development of quality of service information PS Bitange Ndemo noted that fake handsets were a major cause for deteriorating quality in the various network. He noted that now the switch of had gone as planned it was time for network providers to improve their service asking parliament for tougher penalties to providers who offer services below par. This comes even as it merges that none of the operators in the country passed the quality of service assessment in 2011. Ndemo has also asked the CCK to enter into a quality level agreement with network providers to ensure that service quality is improved.