Nairobi — News that Kenya will soon start SIM card registration, which is in tandem with international best practices, is welcome.

Successful completion of this process will give impetus to the fight against crime by ensuring that cellphone criminals can be tracked down. That is why the government's directive on registration of mobile phone users especially those on the popular pre-paid plans that use Subscribers Identity Modular (SIM) cards that are hawked across the country needs to be supported.

This comes in the wake of increased hi-tech crime in the region. In Kenya, mobile phone money transfer services have been abused by criminals. Kidnappers use mobile phones to demand ransom from victims' families. It's not different in other countries. In Nigeria and Somalia for example, criminals are using mobile phones in ship hijackings and abductions of foreign oil workers and then demanding g ransoms.

Mobile phone service providers have six months to comply with the new presidential order. After the necessary laws are put in place, new customers will be required to register a new SIM card and provide their personal details.

Only activated

New numbers will only be activated on a cell phone network once the SIM card has been registered. Existing mobile phone users are expected to present their cards for registration.

In-bound roamers such as tourists and other foreign visitors may also be required to register their SIM cards at the port of entry. Mobile phone service providers who want to extend their borderless services to other countries that have no laws requiring registration may find this a snag.

Phone registration regulations in other countries make it an offence for service providers to sell SIM cards without recording the buyer's personal details. In Kenya, it is expected that phone users who fail to register their cards by the end of the six months provided for the exercise will have their phones muted and will have to reapply for another line, which will have to be registered.

By implementing this directive, Kenya will be joining other countries that already have or are contemplating SIM card registers. They include Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana. Others are Germany, Italy, UK, Australia, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Turkey, Pakistan and Slovenia.

Reacted

After the presidential pronouncement, some people have reacted by claiming that the move would work against the universal access principle and will add to the cost of SIM cards, as vendors would have to invest in data-capturing machines.

Others argue that SIM registration will give the government an almost uncanny ability to monitor all Kenyans, wherever they may be, from their conversations, text messages, internet activities and locations, at any given time.

Skeptics argue that this directive may amount to invasion of privacy of subscribers. This could have both good and bad consequences but it is not uncommon in Africa as countries such as Ethiopia have done the same in the past.

This fear is not far-fetched. In Botswana, where SIM card registration will start in two months, there is anxiety among the country's media that the new measure will give security agents a tool for their surveillance.

Whereas this sounds like a good idea, the regulation will need enforcement. A few years ago, fines were introduced for persons talking on their cell phones whilst driving but there are many motorists who use their phones whilst zipping through traffic.

Until now, the police are not keen to investigate a case that involves misuse of phones, if a prepaid cell number was involved since it is likely that no address was kept on file. That might change, but only time will tell if this new move will deter crime.

The writer is a monitoring and evaluation specialist