The Kenyan regulator, working with the police, has arrested operators and issued a stern warning against the illegal activation of SIM cards.
At a media conference addressed by Cabinet Secretary, ICT, Dr. Fred Matiang’i and CCK Director General, Francis Wangusi, in Nairobi today, CCK said any active unregistered SIM cards in the market must be switched off immediately, and that service providers would be held liable in the case of failure to do so.
The CCK said it had been monitoring the compliance with SIM registration legislation. “ Unfortunately, it has come to our notice that some mobile operators or their agents are still selling SIM cards and activating them without registering subscribers contrary to the Regulations. This is a criminal offence,” CCK said.
Wangusi said: “The Commission, with assistance from the police, has moved with speed to arrest mobile operators who are still selling and activating unregistered SIM cards. Further, any active unregistered SIM cards in the market must be switched off immediately, failure to which the service providers will be held liable for the illegal act.”
CCK warned that any person who contravenes these regulations would be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand shillings, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or to both.
Wangusi said: “Members of the public and all mobile telephone subscribers risk being arrested and prosecuted if found using unregistered SIM cards. Subscribers are urged to take care of their SIM cards and be cautious who they allow to use them to communicate. Loss of SIM cards should also be immediately reported to the police or the respective service providers. This would guard them against being held liable for any communication emanating from lines registered under their name.”
