Written By Mary Mumbua 📝
A Kenyan living in the United Kingdom has filed a legal complaint against the Communication Authority of Kenya’s mandate requiring mobile service carriers to re-register their clients.
Mr. Eliud Karanja Matindi, in a case, declared urgent by the High Court, claims that the CA directive forces Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya to conduct new registrations of all mobile telephone users, including those who are previously registered, is invalid.
According to Mr. Karanja, the regulator has ordered mobile service providers to ensure that their clients disclose all additional telephone numbers registered under their names, including those with other mobile telephone service providers which might force telcos to halt the services of any of their subscribers.
“As a precondition for this fresh registration, all-natural persons must submit to have their photographs taken, processed, and retained,” he said adding that the failure to meet the conditions will lead to the suspension followed by deactivation 90 days later.
The gathering of photographic photos is reportedly for security purposes as part of their know your customer procedure to protect their clients, as well as due diligence in line with Anti-Money Laundering requirements.
Mr. Karanja wants the court to order the telcos to erase and remove photos of registered mobile users obtained during the registration process from their databases and systems.
He also wants the Kenya Information and Telecommunications Regulation 2014 to be quashed by the High Court.
Justice Hedwig Ong’udi declared the case urgent and ordered him to serve the court paperwork to CA and the mobile phone providers within seven days. The case will be discussed again on April 6 for further instructions.
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