The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) has extended the SIM card registration by another six months to October 15, 2022.
The agency’s Director-General Ezra Chiloba met with the Mobile Operators’ Chief Executive Officers who resolved to extend the exercise to allow for 100 per cent compliance.
“During this period, the Authority will undertake monthly reviews to assess progress. At the expiry of the six months, the Authority will further conduct a detailed compliance audit on each of the operators. Any case of non-compliance with the SIM Card Registration Regulations 2015 by either the operators or subscribers will attract immediate penalties as laid out by law”. Ezra Chiloba.
Subscribers who fail to comply risk a fine of KSh 300,000 or a jail term not exceeding six months. The Authority said it would provide further guidance depending on the outcome of the exercise.
While the ongoing verification process has attracted protests from subscribers and sections of the political class who have linked the exercise to the forthcoming polls, to be held in August this year, CA insists that it is merely enforcing regulations that have been in existence for the past seven years.
The Kenya Information and Communications (Registration of SIM cards) Regulations were gazetted on 14th August 2015.
Currently, according to CA, “Safaricom PLC has reported 67 per cent compliance, Airtel Kenya 55 per cent while Telkom Kenya is at 33 per cent”.
The extension comes as a relief to many Kenyans who trooped to various stations to beat the midnight deadline set before to have their lines registered.
Safaricom on Friday rolled out an online self-registration platform to allow its subscribers to validate their details after weeks of reluctance.
Airtel and Telkom were the first to embed the online self-registration platform on their system.
