Mobile operators have 60 days to ensure 100 SIM card registration compliance

Communication Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba [The Standard]

Mobile operators have 60 days to complete SIM registration, the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) has said.

According to a statement by CA Director General Ezra Chiloba, operators have been asked to take additional steps to ensure 100 percent compliance in the next 60 days.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the 60 days is not an extension, but a period for the mobile operators to take certain actions including denial of service to prompt further compliance," said Chiloba in a statement on Monday, October 17.

Sim card holders who are not duly registered will face a graduated denial of service by mobile operators and eventual deactivation.

"The services to be affected by this action include voice, SMS, data, and mobile banking services. The Authority will undertake a compliance audit to ascertain the level of compliance.

"Any Mobile Operator found non-compliant shall be liable to regulatory measures including a penalty of up to 0.5 percent of their Annual Gross Turnover," said Chiloba.

Yesterday, thousands of Kenyans' cell phone lines were suspended after the October 15, 2022 SIM registration deadline elapsed.

Communication Authority of Kenya had on April 15, 2022, extended the deadline for updating SIM card registration details by a further six months to give Mobile Operators and subscribers sufficient time to comply.

"Over the period, we have witnessed major improvement in compliance levels by the Mobile Operators. In the last eight months, we have seen Safaricom's compliance levels move from 52 percent to 93 percent while Airtel moved from 42 percent to 81.2 percent," said Chiloba.