Registered Your SIM Card Yet? You Have Until October 15

Have you registered your Safaricom SIM card yet? The deadline is fast approaching, and you have until October 15 to update your details.

The new deadline, which was pushed from April 15, is subject to the Communication Authority of Kenya’s (CA) directive that all customer mobile numbers must be properly registered against the correct identification details provided by the owners of the SIM cards.

In an advisory issued by the CA, every SIM card owner must register the line at the relevant shops or authorized dealers.

The need for SIM card registration is for your own good. It is aimed at enhancing security and eliminating cases of fraud. Over the years, there have been cases of unregistered SIM cards misused to perpetuate crime, including money laundering, kidnapping, malicious calls, identity theft, cybercrime and mobile money fraud.

This also occurs when fraudsters replace and take over your line. They go to an extent of registering an existing number on a new SIM card to intercept notifications, one-time passwords, online banking profiles and transactions as well as changing the account security settings.

The easiest way to stop these criminal activities is by registering your SIM card. Doing so will ensure that only your details are registered to your mobile number. Plus, you get to know and eliminate numbers registered to your national ID number that you are not aware of.

How to Register Your Safaricom SIM Card(s)

There are several ways you can register your SIM card or update your details. You can visit the nearest Safaricom shop with your ID, use an online registration platform, or use MySafaricom App.

Visiting Safaricom Shop

If you choose to visit the nearest Safaricom shop, dealer, or authorized agent, they will:

• Key in your mobile number
• Scan the back of your original ID
• Capture a photo of you and that on the front of your ID
• Sign the online document (both the customer and the agent)
• Then submit the details.

It is important, however, to note that the person who has registered the line must be the one updating it.  For example, husbands register lines on behalf of their wives.

Using the Online Portal

The procedure for updating your Safaricom details online is as follows:

1. Visit the Safaricom Portal by clicking on this link https://bit.ly/37RIJFG
2. Enter the Phone Number whose details you want to update
3. Agree to the Privacy Policy and Click Next
4. You will receive a One Time Password (OTP)
5. Enter the OTP to continue
6. A list of phone numbers registered with your ID
7. Check the boxes for the numbers you are familiar with
8. Click Next
9. Now upload a picture of your ID on both front and back sides separately.
10. Click Verify and you are done!

Using MySafaricom App to verify

1. Download MySafaricom App from Playstore using this link https://bit.ly/3dFtjYz or Apple Store using this link: https://apple.co/3r2FAtc
2. Launch the app and register using your number
3. Once done, open the app
4. At the top of the app, you’ll see a notice to verify SIM details
5. Click on it, and it will open a similar page to the one for the Online Portal
6. Enter your number, tick the numbers you want to be retained, upload pictures of both the front and the back of your ID, verify the details, and you’re done!

How Do You Know That You Need to Update Your SIM Card Details?

If you are still receiving notifications from Safaricom telling you to update your details, then you need to visit the nearest Safaricom agent, shop, or use the online platform to register.

Alternatively, you can dial *106# and select option number one to check your registration status.

What Do You Do If Your ID Number is Registered to a Different Number?

The USSD code *106# can be used to check your number(s) alongside the details used for their registration, report unknown numbers illegally linked to your ID, and cancel any reported numbers.

If you dial the USSD code *106#, checked your numbers and notice strange numbers illegally registered to your ID, you can report the number using the same code.

If you want to check the numbers associated with your National ID, just:

• Dial *106#
• Select 2: Report an unknown number
• Choose the number you do not know.
• Double-check and confirm the number for reporting

If you accidentally report one of your valid numbers, you can return to the menu, cancel the reported number, and start again.

If you have any questions regarding the process of updating your SIM card registration details, check out these FAQs.