Apply for SIM cards at border points, foreigners told

Foreigners visiting Kenya should apply for SIM cards at various points of entry, the government has said.

Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Owino on Wednesday said the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) should consider having applications for registration done because “that is the time the passports can be easily verified|".

He said CCK should take the registration of SIM cards further by verifying the authenticity of identity cards used at the time of registration.

“They must move ahead and send the copies to the Registrar of Persons to ensure that the ID numbers are verified to ensure that we do not end up registering lines using fake IDs or of those people who have passed on,” Mr Owino said during the weekly press briefing of the National Media Steering Committee held in Nairobi.

Mr Owino said crime has thrived through the use of counterfeit phones and unregistered telephone lines.

“Kidnappers and fraudsters use the phones to defraud Kenyans of money and people even lose their lives in cases where ransom was demanded and the family did not give the money,” he said.

He said police investigations had revealed that most counterfeit phones share a similar International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) numbers.

Track wrong people

This would therefore lead them to tracking the wrong people and make it difficult for them to get their target when carrying out investigations.

CCK acting Director General Francis Wangusi said the September 30 deadline to switch off all unregistered SIM cards and counterfeit mobile phones was on course.

He said that when fake phones will be deactivated it will also result to the disabling phones with the same IMEI number.

Mr Wangusi said the commission has been running a public awareness campaign to ensure that subscribers were well informed of the dangers of using counterfeit phones.

He urged Kenyans to check the validity of phones when making a purchase.

In June 2010, CCK issued a directive to mobile subscribers to register their lines or risk having them disconnected but no action has been take.

Mr Wangusi warned that this time round, they mean business.

“The switch off date is September 30 this year – no more, no less and SIM cards will no longer operate in counterfeit phones from that day,” he said.

“For those in doubt, they will be in for a rude shock come that day.”

He said mobile service providers will help the process by sending messages to subscribers who have counterfeit phones warning them that their phones will be deactivated and to “enable them to buy other phones".

Mr Wangusi said government agencies have stepped up surveillance and crackdown of such phones, including their importation.

Mobile phone users can verify the authenticity of their phones by keying in *#06# on their phones. They will receive a 15-digit IMEI number.