NAIROBI, Kenya — The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has unveiled draft rules governing the deactivation and recycling of inactive mobile phone numbers in a move aimed at protecting subscribers from privacy breaches and unauthorised access to accounts linked to their old numbers.
The proposed safeguards seek to regulate how telecommunications companies deactivate and reassign unused mobile numbers while protecting subscribers’ rights and personal information.
In a notice dated September 1, 2026, the CA invited members of the public to submit their views on the draft guidelines by September 11, 2026.
“In a bid to effectively manage the country’s numbering resources, the Authority has developed draft procedural and technical safeguards for deactivation and recycling of inactive mobile numbers,” the CA said.
The authority said submissions should be sent to numbering@ca.go.ke.
New safeguards for inactive numbers
The proposed rules will provide telecommunications operators with procedures for determining when an inactive number can be deactivated and eventually reassigned to another subscriber.
A key requirement outlined in the draft safeguards is the need for verifiable consent from the previous subscriber before a mobile number is reassigned.
The measures are intended to address concerns faced by Kenyans whose numbers have been deactivated or recycled without their knowledge, particularly where the numbers remain connected to digital services and personal accounts.
Mobile numbers are increasingly used as identifiers for services such as mobile money, banking, email, social media and messaging applications.
Reassigning a number without adequate safeguards could therefore expose either the former or new subscriber to information intended for someone else.
High Court ruling triggered new regulations
The proposed safeguards follow a High Court judgment directing the government to establish clear regulations governing the handling of inactive mobile numbers.
On March 19, 2026, Justice Lawrence Mugambi delivered a landmark ruling affirming that a registered mobile phone number forms part of an individual’s digital identity.
The case followed a petition by an inmate who challenged the reassignment of SIM cards during periods of involuntary inactivity, including circumstances where a subscriber was unable to use their number because they were imprisoned.
The petitioner argued that reallocating the number to another person could expose the former subscriber’s personal, financial and social information.
The court agreed that registered mobile numbers should not be treated merely as communication tools because of their connection to an individual’s digital identity and personal data.
Court restricts automatic recycling
The High Court subsequently prohibited telecommunications companies from automatically recycling inactive or dormant mobile numbers without the consent of the original subscriber.
The ruling highlighted the risks associated with numbers that remain connected to digital services even after a subscriber stops actively using them.
For example, a recycled number could remain associated with mobile banking services, messaging platforms, social media accounts or other online services.
A new subscriber who receives such a number could potentially receive messages or authentication codes intended for the previous owner.
Conversely, the former subscriber could lose access to services that rely on the number for authentication or account recovery.
The court therefore emphasised the need for adequate safeguards before inactive numbers are reassigned.
Attorney General given six months
The court also directed the Office of the Attorney General to develop comprehensive regulations governing the management of inactive mobile numbers within six months.
The CA’s publication of the draft procedural and technical safeguards forms part of the regulatory response to that directive.
The proposed framework seeks to balance two competing interests: the need to efficiently manage Kenya’s finite numbering resources and the need to protect subscribers’ privacy and digital identity.
Mobile operators routinely need to recover and reassign unused numbers because the country’s numbering resources are limited.
However, the new safeguards are intended to ensure that such recycling does not expose former subscribers to unnecessary privacy and security risks.
Kenyans invited to submit views
The CA has given members of the public until September 11, 2026, to submit memoranda on the proposed safeguards.
The authority is expected to consider the views received before finalising the framework.
