Nearly a week after Kenya’s disconnection of close to 1.4 million counterfeit handsets, affected phone users have spoken with HumanIpo expressing their frustrations.
Teddy Kakai said: “I was surprised on Tuesday morning that my Samsung’s gadget could only access to calculator, calendar, converter memo and music files.”
He further stated that the switching off operation has affected him financially and urged the government to refund the affected phone users whether they have receipts or not.
“Where was Kenyan government when they were sneaked in?” he asked.
Marion Namenge said her second-hand clothing business was affected. “I failed to meet my supplier since there was no means of reaching out to him, right now I am going to pump in money to buy a new mobile phone, which is impulse buying,” she said.
She said that consumers should be educated on how to identify original gadgets from fake ones.
“The IT business in Kenya is booming and self-centered individuals may take advantage of making prompt cash,” Namenge said.
Edwin Osore, a university student, noted that he had bought the mobile phone late last month, only to be shocked that it was not working.
“I do my education research through mobile Internet and sharing of ideas through social media forum but now all is gone,” Osore said.
In the business sector, leading newspaper Daily Nation highlighted the plight of electronics traders in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
Normal operations in downtown shops have been paralysed since Monday as potential customers are shifting their business to well-established firms uptown where they say they are assured of acquiring original handsets.
