[kictanet] Safaricom repossessing numbers (What the heck!)

[Brian Munyao Longwe]

Hey Wash!

So - Kenya passed number portability regulations some years back. If I can
choose to port this number to Airtel or Equitel or Telkom or any other
operator licensed by CA - doesn't this imply that the number is
inextricably linked to me?

What does the law and other regulations and MNO licenses say about this?

Brian

On Fri, Sep 4, 2020 at 12:06 PM Odhiambo Washington <odhiambo at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, 4 Sep 2020 at 12:08, Brian Munyao Longwe via kictanet <
> kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>
>> Hi folk,
>>
>> It's been a long time. I hope you are all well?
>>
>> So - mimi niko na issue.
>>
>> My Safaricom number 0715964281 has apparently been repossessed and sold
>> to someone else. The other day I opened up my Safaricom app to send some
>> m-pesa to my daughter as she transits through Nairobi from Malaysia and
>> shock on me! It displayed the name as "Beatrice Chelangat"
>>
>> As many of you know - I have been "diaspora" for a good number of years
>> (close to 9) and am currently based in Malawi. I went to the Kenyans in
>> Malawi Whatsapp group and mentioned the issue and was told that my line is
>> gone because I failed to top up in over 6 months. (This is very true, I
>> think the last time I used the line was more than 8 months ago).
>>
>> What I find surprising is that this has never been a problem in the
>> preceding 9+ years that I have been diaspora. My line has many times gone
>> more than 6,7,8 months without a topup - but always "wakes up" when I load
>> airtime. And m-pesa has always worked. What gives?
>>
>> I am distressed because my m-pesa, my e-Citizen, NTSA, bank accounts and
>> many other digital assets / identity related items are linked to this
>> number which I have had for the past 15+ years. My digital identity (and
>> that of many others in similar predicament) is at risk. How did CA allow
>> this kind of reappropriation to happen without an extensive process?
>>
>> I would expect that at a minimum - after the expiry of a period of
>> non-use, and several alerts sent to the number Safaricom (or any other
>> mobile operator) should publish a gazette notice listing numbers (and
>> associated registered persons) they want to deactivate/repossess and allow
>> a period (3 months?) for the owners to claim their number. At the end of
>> this period then admittedly no one should complain.
>>
>> Otherwise as far as I am concerned I have just been the victim of a
>> sim-cloning scam perpetrated by the same company that provides me with the
>> telecoms service!
>>
>> I would like to hear what the thoughts of the many much brighter people
>> than me on this group are....
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> Mblayo
>>
>>
> Hi Mblayo,
>
> Hope you are doing well in Malawi.
>
> TBH, I don't remember when or even how Safaricom introduced this change. I
> first heard it when I called their Customer Care.
> What I think you should do it look for the initial dotted lines that you
> signed to see if that provision was there.
>
> --
> Best regards,
> Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
> Nairobi,KE
> +254 7 3200 0004/+254 7 2274 3223
> "Oh, the cruft.", grep ^[^#] :-)
>
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