Kenya: Sim registration to cut crime

  1. Posted on Tuesday 22 June 2010 - 17:35
    Muhyadin
    Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya
    The Kenya government has ordered the registration of all mobile phones and sim cards to cut mobile phone crimes. Mobile phone subscribers have until the end of July to register their numbers or will be disconnected from their networks.
    mobile phone
    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Dr Bitange Ndemo, said henceforth new subscribers are obliged to register their lines at the place of purchase.

    “It is the government intention to have all mobile subscribers known by their identity. This initiative will no doubt make us achieve this within the shortest time possible,” Dr Ndemo said.

    He said the move was aimed to tackle terrorism, drugs-trafficking, money-laundering, kidnapping and also the sending of hate messages.

    Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) Director General Charles Njoroge also said mobile operators would also be required to frequently update their subscribers’ personal details.

    Kenyan officials say gangs often use unregistered SIM cards to text ransom demands.

    Police commissioner Mathew Iteere told the BBC: "It has become a tool of banking, it can be used to steal data, [to] transmit unauthorized information and perpetrates huge frauds.”

    Africa mobile subscribers have reached 448.1 million representing a 20% rise, according to a latest report from Ovum Research.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive