Sell phones and communications equipment legally (vendor licence)
Communications Authority of Kenya · sources read 2 Oct 2026
You don't apply for a separate vendor licence: shops selling phones and other low-power devices are covered automatically by the Communications Authority's Communications Equipment Vendor (CEV) class licence, as long as you follow its conditions. Buy only type-approved stock from licensed distributors, and get a distributor (CED) licence if you want to import.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Where
- No application: the Communications Authority's CEV class licence applies automatically. Questions go to the CA Centre, Waiyaki Way, Westlands, Nairobi (info@ca.go.ke)
Steps
- There is no form to fill: the CEV class licence is not issued to individual sellers. Once you sell within its scope, its terms apply to you automatically.
- Make sure your business is registered in Kenya.
- Buy stock only from licensed Communications Equipment Distributors (CED), and sell only equipment the Communications Authority has type approved.
- Give every buyer an official receipt with your business name, the model, the serial number and the warranty period. Every device needs at least a 1-year warranty with a return policy.
- If you sell online, show a physical address, email and phone number customers can reach for support.
Watch out
- You can't import phones under the vendor class licence. To import your own stock, get a CED licence and type approval first.
- High-power radio equipment (VSAT, VHF, UHF, HF) and PABX systems are not covered. They need a separate licence.
- Older individual vendor licences lapse once the class licence is published in the Kenya Gazette.
Who can apply
- Businesses registered in Kenya that sell low-power devices to the public, such as mobile phones, set-top boxes, remotes and trackers.
- The CEV class licence covers selling and maintaining end-user devices like phones and set-top boxes.
Official sources (5)
- Communication Equipment Vendor Class Licence ca.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Market Structure ca.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Telecommunications Market Structure 2026 (revised June 2026) ca.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Transitional Provisions for the Implementation of the Revised Market Structure ca.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- IMEI Checker ca.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026