Uganda Communications Commission ordered for the immediate deactivation of all unregistered sim cards in the country.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at their headquarters in Kampala, UCC Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi said the directive was resolved in a meeting with representatives from all telecommunication companies.
“All non-registered and partially registered sim cards on the various networks must be deactivated by midnight of 29th March 2017,” Mutabazi told journalists.
According to the UCC boss the directive does not leave out the pre- activated sim cards currently being sold on the streets and phone shops.
Telecoms that fail to comply to the directive, Mutabaazi said will be fined up to 10% of their gross annual revenues.
“The only customer identification documents valid for the purpose of sim card registration shall be the national Identification Cards and valid passports.”
Mutabazi noted that other documents like LC letters and driving permits don’t capture all necessary data for identification whereas others are easily forged.
Asked on the number of users to be affected by the move, Mutabazi said they can’t tell by now adding that currently 23 million users are registered. On people with multiple sim cards, Mutabazi said that not more than 10 sim cards can be registered in an individual’s name.
“If you have more than one sim card, you will have to provide proof of how you are to use them .If you’re buying it for your son, you have to provide a birth certificate to show the relationship, “he noted.
He added the move is one of the various security precautions.
The directive comes at the backdrop of the concern by the police spokesperson Asan Kasingye who said many sim cards used are not registered.
Several accounts have come out that before his death; killers had sent threatening messages to former police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi.
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