The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has directed all the telecom companies to verify the identities of their subscribers who have multiple Sim cards.
UCC says the verification exercise is aimed at ensuring that the National Identification Numbers (NINs) match with the ownership of the Sim cards.
They argue that during the registration and verification exercises, many people registered their Sim cards using the NIN of their relatives, friends and in some instances using the agents.
Mr. Godfrey Mutabazi, the UCC Executive Director, said the UCC directive to the telecom companies targets regular sim card verification.
“That is an evaluation exercise which the telecom companies are required to carry out on a regular basis. It is a mandatory requirement,” Mr. Mutabazi said.
The UCC director Industry Affairs and Content, Julianne Mweheire, said the verification exercise targets people who registered using other people’s ID numbers.
“These messages are only being sent out to people with multiple numbers registered in their names, and so telecom companies are doing is to ensure that everybody’s name is corresponding to the national ID numbers, for improved security.”
MTN for the last one week has been sending messages to customers asking them to go and verify their registration status personally.
“Y’ello. You have more than one number registered under your NIN. Please visit any MTN Shop or Duuka with your National ID to confirm them,” the message reads.
Julianne also said those who are out of the country will have an option availed to them for registration.
“People who are abroad are catered for, because there are several provisions in place for doing the verification from wherever they are, besides, the process is not going to be as complex as that of registration, but it is a very simple process which Ugandans should not be worried about.”
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