MPs Probe Petition Challenging telcos Over SIM Card Deactivation, Number Reassignment

NAIROBI, Kenya – The Public Petitions Committee has received a petition challenging Safaricom PLC’s compliance with statutory and constitutional obligations governing the deactivation and reassignment of SIM cards and mobile numbers.

The petitioners, Thomson Kerongo and Asiago Stephen, allege that Safaricom deactivates SIM cards after a specified period of inactivity, ordinarily six months, before subsequently reallocating the corresponding mobile numbers to new subscribers.

They contend that affected subscribers are not always given adequate notice before their SIM cards are deactivated and the numbers reassigned, raising concerns about the impact on consumers who rely on the numbers for communication, financial transactions and access to various services.

The petitioners also raised concerns over the plight of deceased subscribers whose mobile numbers may be deactivated and eventually reassigned, potentially complicating efforts to access funds held in mobile money accounts.

They told the Committee that subscribers use their mobile numbers to conduct various financial transactions, including through M-Pesa, and that the deactivation of a number following the death of its owner can make it difficult for beneficiaries or personal representatives to trace and recover funds associated with the account.

One of the petitioners cited the case of a person known to him who died while holding funds linked to a mobile money account. He said efforts to recover the money after the deceased person’s line was deactivated had proved difficult and time-consuming.

In response, Kuria East MP Kitayama Maisori advised the petitioner to engage the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) to assist in tracing and recovering funds that may have been transferred to the unclaimed assets system.

Maisori said the issue could form part of the Committee’s discussions with relevant stakeholders when they appear before it during the stakeholder engagement process.

The petition also raised the broader question of how communication accounts and numbers should be managed when subscribers stop using them for extended periods.

Mbeere South MP Bernard Muriuki observed that the practice is not unique to Safaricom, noting that similar arrangements have historically existed across different communication platforms.

He cited the deactivation of postal boxes and landline telephone services after prolonged periods of inactivity as examples of how communication services have traditionally been managed.

“Allocation or reallocation of communication accounts is historical. It’s not starting with Safaricom. Safaricom has only inherited what has been happening in the past. You have genuine concerns, though, that when the line is being reallocated, there should be communication to the original owner,” said Muriuki.

The Committee is expected to seek views from Safaricom, relevant government agencies, consumer representatives and other stakeholders before preparing its report and recommendations for tabling before the House for debate.