The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has given mobile network operators one week to switch off all sim cards that are irregularly registered.
The order applies to all sim cards that are either fraudulently registered, unregistered or partly registered failure to which they will face regulatory action.
CA Director General Francis Wangusi advised the operators to ensure agents verify identification documents during customer registration.
A report by the Authority found that there are rampant cases of non-conformity with the SIM card registration regulations, evidence that operators are not in control of the agents.
The forensic audit also found frequent cases of double registration where one number is registered by 4 or 5 people.
“According to the findings, it was evident that operators are not in control of the agents. This was occasioned by weak controls in management of SIM sales agents.
"In most cases, a dangerous trend was noted where the operators’ databases had records which appeared to have been populated from other secondary sources,” Wangusi remarked.
Other SIM cards were found to have multiple registrations with different identity details.
The Director-General disclosed that they have started discussions with the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government on the possibility of accessing the personal identification secure comparison and evaluation system for online verification of passport details.
The directive is aimed at curbing the rampant sim swap fraud cases.
