The Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) will fine subscribers KES 300,000 or jail them for three years for using unregistered SIM cards. On Wednesday, Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo told Capital Business that mobile telephone operators will also face a fine of up to KES 1.8 billion for failing to switch off about 6 million unregistered lines on their networks.

He further explained on Capital Business that they will now also bear intermediary liability for criminal acts committed by persons using unregistered lines on their networks; a fine of KES 350,000 for every line found and a further KES 300,000 slapped on the subscribers found using unlisted lines.

However, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has opposed the decision by CCK, saying that the only penalty subscribers should face for using unregistered SIM cards is disconnection from the service provider.

Once disconnected, subscribers will have 90 days to recover their numbers, but Mutoro emphasised that the failure by providers to disconnect should not be the problem of subscribers. Read Full Story