Mobile phone manufacturers Samsung and Nokia are collecting counterfeit handsets in Kenya for recycling to avert an environmental disaster as the September 30th deadline which will see over 2 million devices switched off draws near.

The manufacturers and mobile operators are also looking to cash in big time and are offering cheap mobile phones for as low as $7 as they await massive sales over the weekend as consumers rush to beat the deadline.

Samsung Electronics East Africa is running a “Give up the Fake!' campaign through which it is encouraging subscribers to turn in their counterfeit handsets and in return get genuine Samsung mobile handsets at a starting price of $16.

Samsung has partnered with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Centre Limited (WEEE Centre) a local e-waste recycling company, which will manage collection of the fake handsets across the country.

“As part of this campaign, we have undertaken to replace the estimated 3 million counterfeit handsets across major towns by replacing them with affordably priced Samsung handsets. In addition, we have retained a locally accredited e-waste recycling company to manage the collection and ultimate disposal of all counterfeit handsets,” said Samsung Electronics East Africa Business Leader Robert Ngeru.

Nokia has also teamed up with mobile operators Safaricom and Airtel and supermarket chains Nakumatt, Naivas and Tuskys to facilitate collection of counterfeit phones at 100 points across the country.

The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has maintained it will not extend the September 30th deadline and has urged subscribers to replace counterfeit handsets before Sunday midnight.

Mobile operators and phone distributors are currently running campaigns promoting genuine handsets selling at subsidised rates. Telkom Kenya for instance , is running Chagua Original ( swahili for 'choose original' ) campaign offering customers 3G-enabled devices at a starting price of $ 7, one month free internet access and free access to Wikipedia and Facebook.

Safaricom has said it will need 15 hours to switch off the 680,000 counterfeit handsets on its network. Airtel Kenya is expected to switch off 100,000 users of fake phones on its network while yuMobile (Essar Telecom Kenya) will deny service to 45,000 users. Telkom Orange has about 20,000 fake phones on its network.

The CCK says it has received 11 million queries on the legitimacy of handsets, representing over a third of the east African nation's 29.7 million mobile subscribers. The industry regulator says the mop up of counterfeit phones would reduce health risks to users and combat terrorism and political violence.

According to Ministry of Information and Communication, permanent secretary, Dr. Bitange Ndemo the use of counterfeit devices, which are manufactured without due consideration to the recognised security standards, may also expose mobile money systems as well as the wider banking and financial system to unnecessary risks.

Moving forward, CCK director general Francis Wangusi says it will lobby the government to put in place measures that will discourage further importation of fake handsets into the country.

“The government zero rated taxes on mobile phones and we want to continue to urge them not to introduce any duties on the mobile phones because that will accelerate the importation of fake phones,” said Wangusi.

This is Kenya's third attempt to switch off counterfeit handsets.