Unregistered SIM cards users risk being jailed

By Cyrus Ombati

Kenyans who have not registered their mobile phone SIM cards have until tomorrow to do so or risk a jail term of three years.

Information and Communication PS Bitange Ndemo said the subscribers will also be liable to pay a Sh300,000 fine in addition to the sentence.

“We have until Friday and everybody should understand that the implication of not registering would actually cost them Sh300,000 or three years in jail,” he said. “The regulations are already with the Attorney General’s office and the gazette notice is coming out on Friday.”

Held liable

Ndemo warned that mobile operators who do not switch off unregistered lines will also pay a Sh300,000 fine per SIM card.

“We are in the electioneering period and we must do everything that we can to ensure that the process goes smoothly,” he said.

Ndemo said mobile phone operators will also be held liable for activities carried out using a subscription medium registered in their names.

He cited the law that demands the registration of telecommunication subscribers and also requires all mobile operators to maintain a register of all persons to whose telecommunications services are provided under the licence.

The deadline for the registration was on Monday failure to which would have led to SIM cards being blocked but none has been switched off.

SIM cards owners who will have them switched off, however, were handed a 90 days reprieve to register their lines failure to which they will be permanently de-activated.

According to Communication Commission of Kenya, there are a total of 30.8 million active SIM cards in the country of which 80.4 per cent or 24.7 million are registered.