Simcard Registration in Kenya: All You Need to Know About It

Simcard registration in Kenya has been ongoing for the last few weeks following the government directive to have all Kenyans register their cards by the 15^th of April 2022 failure to which they will face closure.

The government through the Communication Authority of Kenya says the exercise is meant to update the customer data by capturing the image and national identity card.

What is the Simcard registration process?

The registration process depends on the service provider with the major ones in the country being Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom.

Safaricom directive on registration indicates you should visit their nearest agent with relevant documents such as the national identity card. This will enable them to take the copy and also take your image to complete the registration.

Airtel and Telkom have provided a link that you can use to upload the identity documents. You can access the link by dialing the USSD code *106#. However, you can also visit their agents across the country for registration.

How do you know if you need to register your Simcard?

Recently, the communication authority of Kenya through the CEO Ezra Chiloba has made a clarification that not all Kenyans are required to register as long as they had done so previously.

You should also check for a notification from your service provider through various means such as an SMS on your registration status. Finally, you can also check your registration status by dialing the ussd code *106#.

When is the deadline for Simcard registration?

The government has set the 15^th of April as the deadline for the registration process. The CAK CEO Ezra Chiloba so far maintains that there will no extension and any failure to register will result in card deactivation.

Controversy in the registration process

There has been emerging resistance towards the process with some analysts claiming the process is illegal. Some are also questioning the timeline which they claim is not adequate to have everyone complete the registration process.

However, with the government maintaining its stance, you either register or risk having an inactive card.