Economy

Kenya, EA states to bar unregistered phone SIM cards

WANGUSI

Francis Wangusi, CA director-general. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU

Kenya and its East African (EA) landlocked neighbours have started the process of barring all unregistered SIM cards from networks as they move to curb crime perpetuated through mobile phones.

Telecommunication regulators from Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan met in Nairobi on Thursday to establish the legal and technical framework for harmonising SIM card registration in the region.

The four states are seeking to link the SIM card registration system with their national identification (ID) databases.

Apart from Kenya that has outlawed sale of pre-activated SIM cards and put in place registration regulations in 2012, the other three states are at different stages in legislating and implementing SIM registration.

The four states believe that putting in place a harmonised SIM card registration regulation will help curb public security concerns including the use of mobile handsets to facilitate kidnaps, fraud, terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering, among others.

Francis Wangusi, the director-general Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), said reported cases of criminals buying SIM cards from the neighbouring countries and using them to commit crime in the country were on the rise.

“Given the ease in movement of persons within the region, isolated registration efforts would not be effective enough as criminals can obtain SIM cards from countries that do not register and cross over to countries with registration requirements, hence circumventing and defeating the objectives of registration,” Mr Wangusi said.

“It is imperative that we put in place concerted efforts to address existing gaps, including tightening the border points to limit entry of counterfeit phones that have become popular with criminal gangs,” he added.

Kenya is leading its partners on formulating SIM registration regulations. Anyone found using an unregistered SIM card is liable to a fine of Sh300,000 or be jailed for six months.

READ: CA rule to require registration for use of public Wi-Fi

Additionally, a person found to have given false information to operators while registering a SIM card is liable to a Sh100,000 file or a six-month jail term.

Mobile operators’ agents found to have sold unregistered SIM cards will part with Sh500,000 or face a 12-month jail term if found guilty of committing the offence.

A mobile subscriber is, however, not liable for any crime committed using a SIM card registered in their name if they can prove that they were not in control of the medium when the activities were being carried out.

Kenya has also put in place advanced systems including linkage to the database of national registration of persons.

Uganda is in the process of putting a legal and regulatory framework to link the SIM card registration with its national ID data while Rwanda has completed the process. South Sudan is awaiting for the Civil Registry Bill that is before Parliament to be enacted.

Other areas that the four countries are also seeking to have harmonised regulations include broadband policy, cyber security strategies, E-immigration and cross-border connectivity.