NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Members of Parliament have called for a probe into the deactivation and subsequent reassignment of dormant Safaricom numbers, warning that the practice could leave customers exposed to fraud, loss of funds and unauthorized access to personal information.
The concerns were raised in the National Assembly after Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss presented a petition by Thompson Kirongo seeking an investigation into the telecommunications company’s handling of inactive SIM cards.
The petition has been referred to the Public Petitions Committee, which is expected to establish whether the practice complies with laws governing consumer protection, data privacy and the management of financial assets.
Under the current practice, SIM cards that remain unused for a specified period, ordinarily six months, can be deactivated before the number is eventually assigned to another subscriber.
Kirongo argues that the system could disadvantage customers who are unable to use their lines for extended periods because of illness, travel, incapacitation or other circumstances.
Presenting the petition, Shollei said customers who later sought to reactivate their lines could discover that they had lost access to mobile money services, financial accounts and personal information previously associated with the number.
“The petitioner states that, consequently, the subscribers who resume use of their lines may find they are unable to access communication services such as mobile money accounts, financial services or personal data associated with the SIM card,” she said.
The petition has also drawn attention to numbers registered to deceased persons, particularly where they remain connected to M-Pesa accounts, bank accounts and other financial services.
The petitioner wants Parliament to determine how such numbers are handled during the administration of estates and whether reassignment could interfere with the rights of beneficiaries and authorised representatives under the Law of Succession Act.
Lawmakers also want information on what happens to funds linked to dormant or deactivated numbers and whether money that remains unclaimed is transferred to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority where applicable.
MPs recount experiences
Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza told the House that he had personally encountered problems caused by the reassignment of a mobile number.
He said he once sent money to a number saved in his phone under the name of a known contact, only to discover that the number had since been allocated to someone else.
“I have personally fallen victim to a situation where I sent money to a number saved in my phone under a specific name, only to realise later that the intended recipient had not received the money because the number had been reassigned to a different person,” Tandaza said.
He urged Safaricom to establish a notification system that would alert people who have previously stored a number in their contacts before it is reassigned.
“We cannot hold the receiver responsible for this issue. It is within Safaricom’s capacity and responsibility to ensure that once they reassign a number, they notify those who had previously saved that number,” he said.
Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda said the issue had become more serious because telephone numbers now serve as access points to financial services and personal accounts.
She called for stronger safeguards for M-Pesa and other accounts connected to numbers belonging to deceased customers.
“What Safaricom should primarily focus on are the fraudsters who exploit people’s numbers for extortion,” Lesuuda said.
She noted that politicians were particularly exposed because their telephone numbers are often publicly available.
Sigowet/Soin MP Justice Kemei said Parliament should review safeguards governing the telecommunications industry as mobile communication becomes increasingly central to everyday life.
While acknowledging that operators need mechanisms for dealing with dormant lines, Kemei said customers should be given sufficient notice before their numbers are disconnected.
“Fundamentally, the mobile network service provision in this country is dominated by just three institutions,” he said, calling for scrutiny of the regulatory framework governing the sector.
Nominated MP Irene Mayaka said the issue should also be examined through the lens of Kenya’s data protection laws.
She urged Safaricom to demonstrate to the committee how it safeguards customers’ personal information when numbers are disconnected and subsequently reassigned.
“Safaricom needs to inform the Public Petitions Committee about their compliance with these laws in the context of disconnections and the reassignment of SIM cards,” Mayaka said.
“We need to ensure that people are adequately protected in terms of how their personal information is exposed when this reassignment is being done without even their knowledge.”
Endebess MP Robert Pukose called for the petition to be dealt with urgently, citing cases where fraudsters allegedly impersonate people after obtaining access to numbers previously associated with their contacts.
“Data protection is actually one of the laws that was passed by this House. Safaricom needs to be called to order, especially in the areas of SIM replacements,” Pukose said.
He said he had received messages from a number saved under the name of a known contact, only to establish that the number had been acquired by another person who was attempting to extort money from him.
Tigania West MP John Mutunga said reassigned numbers could create confusion for former subscribers’ friends, relatives, colleagues and constituents.
“It is important that before they assign the line to someone else, they send a notification to the previous user,” he said.
Mr Mutunga also called for scrutiny of mobile data charges, arguing that consumers were paying high prices for bundles.
North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood raised another concern involving SIM swapping, where fraudsters allegedly take control of a victim’s telephone number and use it to access linked financial accounts.
He cited an incident in Meru in which he claimed a victim lost Sh2.7 million from four bank accounts following a SIM swap.
“Therefore, I join my colleagues in supporting the Petition and urge that the issue of SIM swapping should be looked into,” Dawood said.
Mandera County Woman Representative Umul Kheir Kassim said she had also witnessed the consequences of SIM deactivation.
She told MPs that a family member travelling abroad had his number deactivated, cutting him off from WhatsApp and other services linked to the line.
“You cannot use M-Pesa services; you cannot even use your WhatsApp in a foreign country. It is not a good thing,” she said.
Committee to investigate
Shollei committed the petition to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration.
The committee is expected to investigate Safaricom’s procedures for deactivating dormant SIM cards and reallocating the numbers, as well as determine whether the practice complies with existing consumer protection, data privacy and financial regulations.
It will also consider whether additional legislative, regulatory or administrative measures are necessary to protect subscribers.
Follow the story
