Phone firms switch off unlisted users

VIDEO: Vendors now won't sell unregistered SIMs

Mobile phone firms on Wednesday blocked unregistered SIM cards from their networks following an order by President Kenyatta.

The President on Wednesday ordered immediate mop-up of all unregistered SIM cards to prevent their use by criminals.

“Move with speed in ensuring that the unregistered SIM cards are disabled completely. We do not want unscrupulous people to use them in perpetrating criminal activities,” he said during a meeting with mobile phone company bosses at State House, Nairobi.

TRIED TO MAKE CALLS

Numerous numbers from the Safaricom, Airtel, Orange and yu networks were disconnected on Wednesday morning.

Safaricom switched off its network on Tuesday between 11pm and midnight.

Subscribers who tried to make calls at the time received a message which said: “We cannot complete your request as your phone is not registered.”

Subscribers called the Nation newsroom to complain that they had been switched off.

“My yu Sim card was working perfectly until yesterday morning when it suddenly lost network. It was registered by the street vendor who sold it to me,” Mr Anthony Mugo said.

Mr Mikah Kiptoo, who had an Orange line, said: “I have been browsing on my Orange line since 7am until around 10:30am when my line lost network. I called customer care and was told to visit the nearest Orange agent. My line was switched off without notification.”

Safaricom director of corporate affairs, Mr Nzioka Waita, said that he had not received any complaints of blocked SIM cards. He maintained that the company had no unregistered SIM cards accessing its network.

yuMobile chief executive Madhur Taneja told the Nation on phone that the SIM disconnection was part of a regular process conducted among customers whose registration details are not convincing.

“If a customer’s documentation is not complete, it is nothing new or different, their lines will automatically be disconnected. We advised the customers to resubmit their details. They could have been 100 or even 1,000 customers,” Mr Taneja said.

Airtel did not respond to phone calls from the Nation.

Communications Commission of Kenya director-general Francis Wangusi warned at a press briefing at the Hotel InterContinental that it would suspend the licences of mobile phone firms if all unregistered SIM cards on their networks were not terminated. The companies were also cautioned to provide updated call records to the regulator.

(READ: Phone firm CEOs warned of arrest over unlisted lines)

He spoke a day after CEOs from the four mobile phone companies held a press briefing at the Norfolk Hotel denying they host any unregistered SIM cards.

The four, Mr Mickael Ghossein of Orange Telkom, Mr Bob Collymore (Safaricom, Mr Shivan Bhargava (Airtel) and Mr Madhur Taneja of yuMobile said they had all complied with regulations.

Additional reporting by PSCU