Over 1.2m SIM cards are blocked in Kenya

The four mobile operator's Safaricom, Orange, Yu and Airtel switched off 1,280,840 unregistered lines after the expiry date for regulation on mandatory SIM card registration on December 31. An amendment to the Kenya Information and Communication Act was passed by Parliament last year that compels mobile operators to keep a register of customers they provide services to in order to avoid crimes aided via telecommunications such as extortion and hate speech.