The High Court on Friday dealt a blow to the government after extending its earlier orders barring the implementation of directives requiring Kenyans to register their International Mobile Equipment Identity(IMEI) numbers upon a mobile phone's entry into the country.
Following the directive issued by Justice Chacha Mwita on March 21, the government will have to wait four more months before it can proceed with the directive mandating the registration of IMEI numbers, which has in the past attracted criticism over privacy violations. The development came after a lobby group, Katiba Institute, filed a petition challenging the constitutionality of public notices issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which required individuals to register their IMEI numbers.
The lobby which seeks to champion constitutionalism in the country argued that the directive was unjustified and disproportionate in its petition filed on November 22, 2025. Entrance to Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi.
Photo The Judiciary of Kenya. ''On 21 March 2025, the Katiba Institute team was before Justice Chacha Mwita to highlight submissions in HCCRPET/647/2024, challenging the publication of notice by the Communications Authority of Kenya requiring registration of IMEI numbers at the point of phone entry into the country and mobile phone operators to only connect devices whose IMEI numbers have been registered and submitted to the CA.
