Mobile phone users in Kenya could lose access to numbers that remain inactive for an extended period under new guidelines issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The regulator has introduced a structured process for deactivating and eventually recycling mobile numbers that have recorded no revenue-generating activity for three months.
The new rules are intended to give subscribers sufficient notice before their numbers are deactivated and later assigned to new users.
When will a mobile number be considered inactive?
Under the guidelines, a number will be considered inactive if it records no revenue-generating activity for three consecutive months.
This includes making or receiving calls, sending or receiving SMS messages, using mobile data, purchasing airtime or accessing value-added services.
“Number deactivation and recycling shall be triggered when a number records no revenue-generating activity, such as making/receiving a call, sending/receiving an SMS, using data, topping up airtime or using the number for value added service, for a period of three (3) months,” the CA said.
This means simply keeping a SIM card without using it for any of these activities could eventually place the number at risk of deactivation.
What happens after three months?
Once a service provider identifies a number that has been inactive for three months, it must first attempt to contact the subscriber.
The CA requires providers to use the contact details supplied when the number was registered and during the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
“Upon detection of inactivity for the stated period, the service provider shall make efforts to notify the owner of the affected number using the contact details collected during the number registration know your customer (KYC) process,” the authority said.
Notifications may be sent through SMS to the affected number and other contact details linked to the subscriber.
The notification period will continue for another three months, giving the subscriber an opportunity to reactivate the number.
Numbers at risk will be publicly listed
If the number remains inactive, service providers will be required to issue a further public warning before deactivation and recycling.
Thirty days before the end of the additional three-month notification period, providers must publish a list of numbers that are at risk of being deactivated and recycled.
Subscribers will then have 30 days from the date of publication to reactivate their numbers.
The CA has also directed mobile service providers to publish general notices about their intention to deactivate and recycle inactive numbers through their websites, other media platforms and a national daily newspaper every quarter.
How can subscribers check their number status?
The public notices will also provide subscribers with a way to establish the status of their mobile numbers.
Users will be able to determine whether a number is active, suspended, undergoing recycling or has already been deactivated.
The CA said the *106# service will be used for this purpose.
This is particularly important for subscribers who may have stopped using a particular SIM card but still have important services, accounts or contacts linked to the number.
What happens to your personal data?
If a subscriber fails to reactivate the number within the required notice period, the service provider must separate the former owner’s information and services from the number before it can be given to another person.
The CA requires providers to securely archive personal data, cached data and services associated with the previous owner so that they cannot be accessed or inherited by the new subscriber.
“Upon the lapse of the notice period and with the number still inactive, the service provider shall de-link and securely archive the personal data, cached data, and services associated with the previous owner such that they are not accessible to or inherited by any new subscriber, while retaining records required by law,” the authority said.
The requirement is designed to prevent a recycled number from exposing information or services belonging to its previous owner.
When will the number be recycled?
After the required data protection and de-linking procedures have been completed, the number will enter the recycling process.
It can then be made available for assignment to another subscriber.
“Upon execution of clause 4.9, the service provider shall initiate the number recycling process and avail the number for provisioning to a new subscriber,” the CA said.
Service providers will also be required to maintain evidence showing the steps they took to contact subscribers whose numbers were due for deactivation.
These records must be retained for the period prescribed under Kenya’s data protection framework.
Why the rules matter
The new framework creates a defined process for dealing with inactive mobile numbers while giving subscribers several opportunities to reclaim their lines before they are permanently deactivated.
It also introduces safeguards around personal information, particularly because recycled numbers may later be assigned to completely different users.
The CA will require service providers to submit quarterly lists of deactivated and recycled numbers to a centralised system. The system will allow third parties to update their records before sending messages or making calls relating to obligations associated with the affected numbers.
For mobile users, the key takeaway is simple: a number that remains unused for three months can enter the deactivation process, but subscribers will receive additional notices and opportunities to reactivate it before it is recycled.
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