Following Kenya and Tanzania’s example, the Government of Rwanda is also set to disconnect counterfeit mobile handsets off the network.

According to Rwanda Utilities Regulator Agency (RURA), the process by which they will be disconnected is still being assessed to reduce inconveniences. Society magazine’s Patrick Buchana talked to different people to hear their views.No it’s not fair; they shouldn’t switch fake phones off as they are used by a big fraction of people. If they switch them off, a lot of businesses and lives will be inconvenienced. They should organise and find a way to replace these Chinese phones; for example, there could be discounts on genuine phones where owners can top up. Nsenga Gloria Quantity survey student KIST These phones should just be switched off as it was done in Kenya. In fact, I also suggest they stop importation of these phones rather than switching them off seeing as not everyone can afford an original phone. Many people want to be on at least two networks at the same time and can’t afford two genuine phones. Gatete David Counterfeit phones should be switched off immediately. Both these phones and the users make a lot of unnecessary noise and it’s quite irritating. When stolen they can’t be recovered and they cause a lot of congestion on the satellite that slows down the network.Katimba David  Nyamirambo resident I think it’s fair as talking on a counterfeit phone for over seven minutes makes the phone heat up and that is not healthy. It’s better to stay healthy than be attracted by cheap things. Mugabo Steven  Electronics dealer That’s not fair. Not all these phones are as bad as they seem. Out of ten Rwandans, at least seven hold a counterfeit phone. They are the most convenient for people that would want applications in a phone but can’t afford an original one.Kivuye Alex seller of counterfeit phones Yes it’s fair to switch these phones off because many people complain about them after just days of using them and they always blame the sellers. They want a nice package at a low price. If they really want good phones they should leave that fake material molded into a phone.Kwizera Steven Rugby player