KAMPALA, UGANDA- The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has appealed to Ugandans not to wait for the last minute rush to register their SIM cards.
"The only person who should be afraid of SIM registration, naturally, is the criminally-minded, who knows that their days are numbered after all existing SIM Cards are registered," said the commission head of communication, Mr. Fred Otunnu.
As technology becomes a necessity in daily transactions like mobile money, banking and utility bills payment as well as communication, the exposure to ICT based crimes is on the rise.
Cellphones and their SIM cards are not just a means of communication; they have also become tools to perpetrate crime.
SIM card registration ensures that all subscribers' data is captured to curb crime. Given the fact that Uganda still lacks an effective Identity Management System, or a national identity database of its citizens, according to Otunnu, the exercise is necessary to prevent the harassment people go through as regards other people using mobile phones to perpetrate crime.
Otunnu adds that it is the anonymous nature of the unregistered SIM cards that kidnappers exploit.
"It is how extortionists are able to get away with their deed. Text scams flourish in such an environment. Terrorists, insurgents and enemies of the state and society hide behind untraceable numbers. Rumour mongers use it to sow confusion, spread malicious information or start hoaxes," he explained.
He notes that SIM card registration promotes user accountability, since telecom companies keep details of all users. The exercise is free of charge.
"It also promotes national security and social order, in addition to making it easier to enforce existing legislation.
"When you receive a threatening call from an unknown source, the first step is to report to the Police. A case file is opened after taking your statement as a complainant. An investigation with the objective of identifying the caller gets underway.
"Usually the basic procedure is for the investigating officer to apply for a court order, which is presented to the respective telecom company for a printout of the phone call logs (list of all incoming and outgoing calls) on your mobile number.
"The suspect (anonymous caller) can then be traced to a particular location from which the call was made by the help of the originating mast's (cell) physical location.
He stresses that a call log printout from a telecom company's switch shows a list of all incoming and outgoing calls regardless of whether the caller hid their identity or not.
"Once the 'hidden' number is displayed on the log, another printout of that number may be made to identify the calling pattern or the most incoming or outgoing calls on it.
Thereafter, the identity of the caller can be ascertained from their friends or relatives or the most called numbers."
SIM card registration in Uganda is part of the regional exercise. Under the umbrella body - the East Africa Communications Organisation (EACO), East Africa set mid 2012 as the deadline to have all existing SIM cards registered. In Kenya and Tanzania at least 80% of SIM cards in each country have been registered.
Uganda has set March 1, 2012 to March , 2013 as the period for SIM card registration, after which all unregistered SIMs will be switched off.
How will people register?
The registration exercise will include the capture of the photograph and biometrics of the subscriber/subscribers - fingerprints and digital photograph.
According to Otunnu, some of the personal information to be provided by a subscriber are e-passports, corporate/company or workplace identity cards that have pension identification/tax numbers, student ID cards from recognised institutions, driver's licence and e-tax cards.
Proxy registration shall be restricted to the direct families of persons seeking registration.
"In the case of existing SIM card holders, necessary processes and procedures are currently being put in place to guarantee a smooth registration exercise.
"The general public and all relevant stakeholders will be notified in due course about the timing and how to proceed," added Otunnu.
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