Kampala, Uganda – The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has launched an investigation into telecommunications companies over the continued use of unregistered mobile phone SIM cards.
During Thursday’s Plenary session in Parliament, ICT Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi announced the probe, citing concerns over the companies’ failure to comply with regulations aimed at curbing crime.
In 2013, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) was mandated to ensure mass registration of sim cards, with a view of curbing crime.
Dr. Baryomunsi warned that telecom companies face heavy sanctions if found non-compliant.
“I have engaged the telecommunication companies and they keep giving assurance that it is only authorised numbers that are in circulation, whereas such experiences indicate the reverse.
He added, “What I can pledge is that I am going to engage the telecommunication companies once again because it is evident that some people access unregistered numbers. They have been claiming that may be they are using numbers of dead people.”
The Minister’s remarks followed a matter of national importance raised by Butebo district woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Ameede, during plenary sitting on Thursday, 19 September 2024.
Ameede said that residents in Butebo district have severally fallen victims of fraudsters who use unregistered sim cards.
“There are persons registering and extorting money from people from Butebo district, purportedly as agents of the association of Teso war victims with a promise that they are working on their forms to benefit from government compensation,” she said.
Amede asked for an explanation on the legality of such activities and also urged government to put an end to extortion of unsuspecting people.
Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Marksons Oboth agreed with Baryomunsi, saying that the Uganda Communications Act can be reviewed to penalise telecommunication companies found culpable of circulating unregistered sim cards.
“We can look at the law again and come back here. This Parliament can save the situation through legislation, to create liability on the service providers,” Oboth said.
He added that the matter needs to be addressed because use of unregistered sim card also poses security risks.
“Criminals in Uganda, like any other country, are using phones. This is not a small matter, people have been killed, people have been robbed while criminals coordinate this using unregistered numbers,” he said.
Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, welcomed the proposal to institute punitive measures against telecommunication companies.
“You need to comb into the law to see how you can have punitive measures, in other countries that is what they have done. It is like banks, you facilitate money laundering, you find that you have been fined US$500 million and now they even close them down,” Tayebwa said.
The matter attracted debate from several lawmakers, who said they have been victims of fraudsters who use unregistered sim cards, and they called for a lasting solution to the issue.
Hon. Andrew Ojok (NRM, Omoro County) urged the Minister of ICT to consider a countrywide data awareness campaign with a view of enlightening the population on how to detect fraud.
The move aims to curb crimes such as mobile money fraud, kidnapping, and terrorism, which often involve unregistered SIM cards.
