The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has outlined new safeguards governing how mobile phone numbers are deactivated and eventually assigned to other subscribers. The measures come as Parliament examines concerns over what happens when customers stop using their SIM cards for extended periods.
The issue has become increasingly important as mobile numbers are now connected to much more than voice calls and text messages. A single number can be linked to mobile-money services, bank accounts, email addresses, social media profiles, online platforms and other digital services. Losing access to a number can therefore create wider problems than simply being unable to make calls.
The National Assembly’s Public Petitions Committee questioned the process after receiving complaints about the deactivation and recycling of inactive numbers. Petitioners raised concerns that subscribers could lose their numbers and potentially face difficulties with services that remain connected to those lines.
CA Director-General David Mugonyi appeared before the committee on October 6, 2026, to explain the regulatory procedures surrounding inactive numbers. The hearing also brought attention to a particularly sensitive issue: what happens when a mobile subscriber dies while money or other important services remain associated with their phone number?
CA Explains the Process for Inactive Numbers
According to the CA, mobile operators are required to follow established procedures before an inactive number can be deactivated and recycled.
The process begins when a mobile line remains continuously inactive for more than three months. At that stage, the operator is expected to make efforts to contact the subscriber before taking further action.
Operators can use information collected during SIM registration to reach affected customers. This may include alternative telephone numbers, email addresses and other customer identification or KYC information.
The notification period is intended to give subscribers an opportunity to reactivate their lines. If the number remains unused for more than six months, it can eventually become eligible for deactivation and recycling, provided the required procedures have been followed.
The CA also requires operators to make public announcements concerning numbers that are scheduled for deactivation.
In addition, subscribers should have access to a USSD service that allows them to check whether their mobile number is among those scheduled for deactivation.
The measures are designed to reduce situations where a customer discovers that their old number has been reassigned without having received an opportunity to retain it.
Why Recycling Mobile Numbers Has Become a Concern
Mobile number recycling is not a new practice. Network operators may eventually reassign numbers that have remained unused for a prolonged period because the available numbering resources are limited.
However, the digital economy has changed the risks associated with the process.
Many consumers use their mobile numbers as a form of digital identity. The same number may receive banking alerts, authentication codes, mobile-money notifications and account recovery messages.
A number that is later assigned to another person could therefore create complications if old accounts have not been properly updated or disconnected.
For this reason, the process of recycling inactive numbers requires safeguards that go beyond simply determining whether a SIM card has been used recently.
MPs Question What Happens to M-PESA Money
The parliamentary hearing also raised concerns about mobile-money balances belonging to deceased subscribers.
Turbo MP Janet Sitienei highlighted a case involving a deceased relative whose SIM card was believed to have been associated with money that family members had been unable to access.
The issue raises important questions about how mobile-money balances should be handled when a subscriber dies and their mobile line subsequently becomes inactive.
MPs also questioned whether funds connected to deactivated numbers could fall within Kenya’s framework for unclaimed financial assets.
The CA’s appearance before the committee did not establish a new mechanism specifically designed to resolve such mobile-money claims.
The matter remains part of the wider inquiry involving different institutions, including the CA, mobile operators, the Central Bank of Kenya and the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority.
Consumer representatives may also have a role as the investigation continues.
Some Subscribers Can Protect Their Numbers
The CA has also indicated that certain subscribers can seek protection from number recycling when they expect to remain inactive for an extended period.
This may apply to people who cannot use their mobile lines for more than six months because of circumstances such as illness, imprisonment or other forms of incapacity.
The provision recognizes that prolonged inactivity does not necessarily mean a subscriber has abandoned their number.
For people in prison, the Commissioner of Prisons can communicate with mobile operators and request protection for qualifying numbers during the period of incarceration.
Such measures can help prevent legitimate subscribers from losing access to numbers simply because they are temporarily unable to use their phones.
Incomplete SIM Registration Data Creates Another Challenge
One of the major concerns highlighted during the hearing was the quality of customer information available to operators.
The notification process depends heavily on accurate contact information. However, some subscribers may not provide alternative telephone numbers or email addresses when registering their SIM cards.
The CA also indicated that some registration agents may not consistently insist on collecting alternative contact details.
This creates a practical problem.
If an inactive subscriber cannot be reached through their registered contact information, the operator may have fewer options for warning them before the number enters the recycling process.
The CA is therefore considering changes to how SIM registration is conducted. One proposal involves having mobile network operators take greater responsibility for SIM registration rather than relying heavily on third-party agents.
Better registration records could make it easier to contact customers and strengthen consumer protection.
Parliament Continues Its Inquiry
The parliamentary hearing has highlighted two related but separate issues.
On one side, the CA has explained the safeguards that operators are expected to follow before inactive numbers are deactivated and recycled. These include attempts to contact subscribers, public notices and mechanisms for checking affected numbers.
On the other side, Parliament is investigating broader concerns surrounding the impact of number recycling, particularly where mobile-money balances and digital accounts remain connected to numbers belonging to former or deceased subscribers.
The second issue could prove more complicated because mobile numbers increasingly serve as gateways to financial and digital services.
For consumers, the development is a reminder to keep SIM registration information updated and to change phone numbers on important accounts whenever a line is permanently abandoned.
For regulators and mobile operators, the challenge is to balance the efficient management of Kenya’s numbering resources with stronger protection for consumers.
As Parliament continues examining the petition, questions surrounding deceased subscribers, unclaimed mobile-money balances and the safe separation of digital accounts from recycled numbers are likely to remain important parts of the discussion.
