CAK assures subscribers of notice before SIM cards are deactivated and numbers recycled

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) has assured Kenyan mobile phone users that they will receive prior notice before inactive SIM cards are deactivated and their numbers reassigned to other subscribers. The CAK Director General, David Mugonyi, made this announcement during a meeting with the National Assembly Public Petitions Committee on October 6, 2026.

According to Mugonyi, mobile network operators are mandated to follow specific procedures and technical safeguards before deactivating and recycling inactive numbers.

The rules implemented in 2026 require service providers to utilize the contact information available in their subscriber databases, including alternative contacts provided during the Know Your Customer (KYC) registration process. Operators must then inform subscribers whose numbers have been inactive for over three months. This notification process spans three months before a number becomes eligible for deactivation and subsequent recycling.

Mugonyi highlighted that operators must also publish a public notice about their intention to deactivate and recycle numbers that remain inactive for more than six months. This notice should include a USSD option, enabling subscribers to check the status of their numbers if they are among those scheduled for deactivation. Additionally, the regulations allow for subscribers who cannot use their numbers for extended periods due to situations like illness, imprisonment, travel, or other forms of incapacity to request the "whitelisting" of their numbers. This option is available for individuals or those authorized to act on their behalf.

The committee also addressed the issue of notifying a subscriber's family or representatives in the event of the subscriber's death while their number remains inactive. Mugonyi explained that accurate and comprehensive information collected during SIM registration would enable operators to reach alternative contacts or authorized persons when the subscriber cannot be contacted.

However, he acknowledged that critical information is not always provided during registration, partly due to customers' reluctance and the lack of insistence from registration agents to collect these details.

The CAK is currently exploring proposals to shift SIM card registration responsibilities from agents to mobile network operators, aiming to improve the accuracy of subscriber information and enhance safeguards around mobile numbers. With mobile numbers increasingly linked to financial services and digital accounts, the reassignment of previously used numbers could pose complications for former subscribers.