Wednesday, May 11, 2022 –Government now allows every Kenyan to have a maximum of only 10 SIM cards; being part of its efforts to reduce misuse of SIM cards in the country.
Adults will have to produce proper identification through their Identity cards, birth documents and passports during registration process.
Ministry of ICT has stated that in the revised draft of the Kenya Information and Communication (Registration of Telecommunications Service Subscribers) Regulations, 2022, all subscribers will only be allowed to have not more than 10 SIM cards.
The regulator has also pronounced itself on minors who want to own phones that their guardians or parents will have to provide documentation from both sides. But when the minor hits 18 years, he/she will be required to update the details within three months to avoid being cut off from the service.
Anyone or a communication company found flouting this critical rule will be dragged to court and punished by law.
Telecommunication companies – Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom – have been granted authority to deactivate SIM cards for subscribers if they detect that a client had provided false information. This will however be done after notifying those who have not complied through an SMS.
CA Director General Ezra Chiloba addressing [Photos/Courtesy].
“It is the responsibility of the operators who will advise on whether to switch off the unregistered lines or probably give an extension and allow as many Kenyans as possible to register,” CA’s Director General, Ezra Chiloba, stated.
Government pushed registration exercise period upto October 15, 2022 in which every Kenyan should update their details either physically or through specific online platforms.
