The Uganda communications Commission Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi has given a 7 day grace period to subscribers with phones not registered using the gazetted documents.
Mutabazi said that those who registered using non gazetted documents like company, village, and school identity cards ought to update their registration using passports and national IDs or else they risk having their simcards deactivated.
“If your simcard is not updated by the 7 days, it will be deactivated. Those selling simcards on streets will from today be arrested by police for aiding criminals,” Mutabazi said.
He noted that only gazetted Telecom Company shops will be allowed to sell simcards.
Mutabazi also asked telecom companies to always deactivate any phone on being reported by a subscriber as having been stolen from them.
On partially registered simcards Mutabazi also noted that subscribers have too been given 7 days to complete the process or else they risk being deactivated.
“Any telecom company that fails to adhere to these regulations risks being fined or even suspension of their licences,”Mutabazi warned.
The Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura said the measures will help them in fighting crimes in the country.
“Many of these criminals have been sending threatening messages to members of public using unregistered simcards but the new measures will help us,” Kayihura noted.
These measures come a few weeks after the police spokesperson AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi was brutally shot dead by unknown assailants together with his bodyguard and driver as he left his home in Kulambiro.
According to reports, the criminals had earlier sent threatening messages to Kaweesi before his death.
The meeting at UCC was attended by representatives from telecom companies including Airtel, MTN, Africel, Vodafone among others; security agencies led by police, UPDF ,SFC and CMI among others