Kenyans are currently in the rush to beat the Communications Authority’s April 15, deadline for SIM card registrations to avoid being locked out of mobile networks.

The Communications Authority (CA) ordered mobile service providers in the country namely Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya to register their users by April 15, 2022.

The regulator threatens to deactivate all the SIM cards of the individual who will not have registered with their respective providers by the set date.

As of Thursday, thousands of Kenyans have been seen lining up at various telcos hoping to have their SIM cards registered and continue enjoying services.

The move to have all mobile subscribers register their lines is aimed at controlling cybercrime or fraud that is usually committed by unscrupulous people through unregistered SIM cards or those that are registered using bogus details.

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Compromised agents are the ones who usually perform those dubious registrations at the expense of unsuspecting victims.

In the current registration exercise, mobile service providers are expected to update customer details using a digital passport-size photograph of the subscriber and either their National Identity Card or a passport. 

Foreign nationals, including refugees in the country, are also expected to register their SIM cards the same way but use their passports 

Registration of SIM Card Regulations (2015), CA prohibits the hawking of SIM cards.

Contravening the prohibition attracts a six-month jail term of a Sh300,000 fine or both.