CA unveils draft rules on deactivation, recycling of inactive mobile numbers
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has published draft safeguards to regulate the deactivation and recycling of inactive mobile numbers, giving members of the public until September 11, 2026, to submit their views. The proposed rules seek to guide telecommunications operators on how unused numbers should be deactivated and eventually reassigned while protecting the rights […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has unveiled draft regulations governing the deactivation and recycling of inactive mobile numbers, inviting public feedback until September 11, 2026. The proposed guidelines aim to manage Kenya's numbering resources effectively, while safeguarding subscriber information. A public notice issued on September 1, 2026, explained that the draft procedures were designed to ensure efficient management of mobile numbers and to protect users' personal data.
Members of the public can submit comments via email at [email protected] The draft safeguards and submission format are accessible on the Authority's open consultations page. This move follows a High Court ruling on March 19, 2026, which stipulated that a registered mobile number is a unique digital identifier linked to private data, protected under Article 31 of the Constitution.
The court held that the deactivation and reassignment of inactive numbers without adequate protections could put subscribers' personal information, such as bank alerts and mobile-money messages, at risk.
The court directed the Attorney General, in collaboration with the CA, the Data Protection Commissioner, and the concerned ministry, to develop safeguards within six months. The court mandated that a previously registered number can only be reassigned after the former subscriber provides informed consent or after a public notice, accompanied by documented efforts to determine if the subscriber is unreachable or has relinquished the number.
Additionally, technical measures must be implemented to prevent the new subscriber from accessing the old user's information.
Special safeguards were ordered for inmates to prevent the loss of their digital identity during incarceration. Should the required measures not be in place by midnight on September 19, 2026, the recycling of previously registered numbers would automatically halt. The CA's draft rules are anticipated to offer practical procedures for implementing these court-mandated requirements.
Historically, telecommunications operators have reclaimed inactive numbers to optimize the limited numbering resources in the country. However, the proposed safeguards aim to address concerns from subscribers, particularly those associated with mobile-money accounts, banking services, and government platforms.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
