All vendors selling simcards on streets will be arrested with immediate effect, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Emillian Kayima has said.
“The police is going to write a circular and communicate to all our territorial commanders to enforce this resolution immediately, most likely tomorrow,” he added.
Kayima was speaking to journalists shortly after a meeting convened by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) together with police and all telecom service providers at the Commission’s headquarters in Bugolobi.
In the meeting attended by UCC Execitive Director Eng. Godfrey Mutabazi, the Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura and the Commissioner of Police in charge of criminal investigations, AIGP Grace Akulo, UCC resolved to ban sale of simcards along the streets and other non-authorized places.
The ban follows a directive by UCC to telecom operators to deactivate all partially and non-registered simcards due to the increased crime rate that is aided by the same cards.
Telecom operators have also been ordered to match their databases with the National ID database to establish whether the identities of registered subscribers are a match.[related-posts]
The meeting further resolved that only National Identity cards and passports shall be considered the only validated documents for any individual to have their simcard registered contrary to other documents like; a letter from Local Council (L.C) leaders, work and students I.Ds which would be used.
Refugees in Uganda who need to own simcards will require approval and an official document from the Office of the Prime Minister before they can access a simcard.
Over the recent past, Telecom companies have been under scrutiny over the increasing number of unregistered SIM cards on streets which has arguably contributed adversely to increased crime rate in the country.
According to Kayima, unregistered simcards are a big security threat and facilitates terror activities, organized and transnational crime among others.
