NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr, 15 – The clock is fast ticking as a government-imposed deadline for Kenyans to ensure that they have registered their SIM cards approaches.
Last week, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) director-general Ezra Chiloba said that millions risk having their mobile lines being deactivated if they failed to comply with the registration directive.
Since then, long queues have characterized telco offices nationwide, with Kenyans rushing against time to have their registration details authenticated.
Amidst the rush, however, confusion is said to have gripped scores of Kenyans who despite initially confirming their registration details, received contradicting messages through the mobile service providers that they were not registered.
“When I bought my line, it was normal at the time for them to scan my ID and later register my SIM card, now, I am told that I am staring at a possible deactivation. What is the meaning of this? Especially during the last day of the exercise?” lamented John Kimani, a Nairobi resident.
Another mobile subscriber said that she had confirmed her details via the USSD code *106# and was notified that her registration details were incomplete.
“I can imagine I now have to go on the last day and complete the process yet just recently I was notified that I was fully compliant, this is totally unfair,” said a mother mobile subscriber.
It is a similar case with scores reporting the same anomaly. Telco companies however say that they must comply with the directive in order to avoid being disconnected.
Amidst the confusion and suspicion that has marred the exercise, Chiloba sought to refute claims that the process was connected to the August 9, 2022 elections.
“This exercise has nothing to do with the elections, we started much earlier following the operation we carried out in 2021 and the misuse of SIM cards….The report we had was conversations between CAK and operators to ensure compliance and it has been ongoing. The demand for compliance was necessary…we felt the need to put a cut off date to avoid this back and forth conversation…by coincidence it happened to be in the election year,”
“We are very sensitive to the impact of misinformation, especially around the electioneering period. We have already seen how facts around this exercise have been misrepresented. While it does not surprise us, I wish to encourage the media and the public to be vigilant on facts as we go through this exercise,” said Chiloba.
Origin of Validation/Registration Exercise
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, the process for validation of Sim Cards was actualized following an inspection in at least 22 counties where telecommunication regulations regarding SIM card purchase and registration were not being observed.
“SIM cards are given for free, use of fictitious identity card numbers in most cases, therefore not resulting in registration but the sale of the line,” said Chiloba who further revealed that,” SIM cards are sold without the presentation of an identification document and no verification is done,”
it was further established that SIM cards were sold without registration and customers were only later advised to register their cards.
Also, the inspection revealed that SIM cards were sold using other people’s ID cards or proxies, or other documents like the NSSF cards and student IDs, among others.
The exercise is seen as a deterrent against the increased cases of sim-boxing, financial fraud, kidnapping, terrorism, and related crimes that prevail as a result of compromised sim card registration processes.
The government has now issued a nationwide ban on the sale or hawking of SIM cards across the country this as Mobile Network Operators (MNO) urge Kenyans to purchase SIM cards from authorized dealers in order to avoid being duped.
“Safaricom does not hawk lines…if this happens we would like to know where and deal with it,” said Nicholas Mulila, Chief Risk Management, Security, Safaricom.
Not Fresh Registration But Validation
Amidst the confusion and rush to validate one’s personal information before April 15, Chiloba says that mobile network operators had been directed to commence the exercise on February,24,2022.
The exercise the regulator says is meant to address the documentation gaps within the sector by both operators and customers.
“This is beneficial to both operators and subscribers. As a result, the exercise will continue until the 15th April 2022 deadline. The Authority will provide further guidance depending on the outcome of the exercise,”
One of the key sources of confusion during this exercise has been the requirements of the operators to subscribers.
Chiloba has now clarified that Kenyans are not obligated to submit their photographs during the validation or registration process but instead only avail their Identity cards, service cards for members of the disciplined forces, passports, and birth certificates where necessary.
Foreigners will meanwhile be required to provide their passports.
“As far as CA is concerned, we are not requiring subscribers to provide their photographs, that is not our requirement, now that is the relationship between yourself and Safaricom….In our engagement we have agreed we should not request photographs from subscribers when they are verifying their details…but I know that in future this might become necessary and I do not think they are doing this in bad faith,”
“At Safaricom we have been taking photos and the reason is to enhance the security of the resources and the data of our customers. What we have seen in the past is there has been a lot of incidence of impersonation and M-Pesa Fraud driven by stolen identity and we thought it was a good way to continue to make our customers safe and secure their data private,” said Mulila.
Kenyans are now not obligated to physically go to the mobile operators’ shop but can instead confirm their status through the USSD code *106# on all telecommunication platforms with standardized menus and messages in place.
The exercise is free of charge with mobile agents warned against demanding money from Kenyans.
Safaricom has revealed that the validation exercise can be conducted across their 200,000 registered agents nationwide as well as at select places including charges among other institutions.
Airtel meanwhile is conducting the exercise at major stores including at 50,000 agent shops nationwide.
“When you get that message saying the following telephone lines have been registered under your ID….it means you are compliant…you don’t have to trouble yourself going to queue to verify you information. Once you get that message indicating your number verifying your ID, that should suffice,”
Kenyans with multiple mobile numbers registered using the IDs have however been cautioned to take extra precautions while validating their status.
Any mobile number reported to have been registered using a stranger’s ID will be deactivated and criminal proceedings kicked off against its owner.
Also, those found to have registered their mobile numbers using face information or failed to comply with the regulations will be slapped with a Sh300,000 fine. This also applies to the operator for every complaint filed.
Meanwhile, Chiloba revealed that those who obtained their mobile numbers before 2015 could still be required to present themselves physically before a registering agent or the principal shops of mobile operators to have a copy of their ID, or Service card, or alien card for foreigners validated.
Does Your Child Have A SIM Card Registered under Your Name?
Mercy Wanja, the Director, Legal Services at the communications Authority has meanwhile urged parents and guardians alike to also register their children’s mobile numbers.
A SIM card registered for a minor is said to be subject to, a “higher cautionary outlook” that would not be available for an adult
“Therefore it is incumbent for any parent or guardian whether the minors in their custody have numbers that are appropriately registered…and one requirement is the production of a birth certificate, it needs to be regularized for the sake and security of the child who continues to use that device…it is consumer protection issue,” said Wanja.
The ministry of ICT has meanwhile established a task force to review regulations within the sector including emerging trends, adoption of new regulations and even setting a cap on the maximum number of SIM cards that can be registered on a single ID card.
Consultations are meanwhile also ongoing for Kenyans who have taken loans via the various mobile service providers – the central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and CA are expected to reveal the way forward, particularly for those whose mobile numbers will be deactivated.
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