This is clarification on the ongoing SIM card validation exercise by Telecom operators, leading up to the 1st May 2019 deactivation; please find vital information for consideration below:
- A customer who registered using their NIN and Name – there is no action required. You will not be affected by the upcoming deactivation. Note, no action is required.
- A customer with more than one number of a particular network and has carried out biometric verification on any of these numbers (MSISDN) on the same network dating between May 2018 to date, No further action is required.
- A customer who used another person’s Name and NIN, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and register afresh.
- If a customer used their name but another person’s NIN to register, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and register afresh.
- If your Mobile Money is registered under a different name from your SIM registration, please go to the nearest service centre with your valid National ID and edit your details.
- When you dial *197# and follow the prompts and find that there are numbers registered under your NIN that are not yours, please remove them immediately.
- If you registered your child’s phone number under their name but using your NIN (the Parent), the name should also have been the parents as well. Therefore please visit the nearest service centre and edit the details as they appear on the National ID’s holder.
- If you lost your National ID, NIRA issues confirmation letters attesting to your citizenship and that your registration information exists in the NIRA database. The NIRA letter can be presented to your telecom operator to secure a SIM replacement within 72hrs, given that your name and NIN were previously captured correctly by the operator.
- SIM card purchased, upgraded, Swapped and or replaced between May 2018 to date will not be affected by the 1st May 2019 deactivation.
- If and when your SIM card is deactivated, you have the opportunity to reactivate the same by presenting a valid National ID for a fresh SIM Card registration.
Uganda Communications Commission; UCC House; Plot 42-44 Spring Road, Bugolobi; P. O. Box 7376, Kampala; Phone: +256-41-4339000, +256-31-2339000; Toll-Free: 0800 222 777; Email: ucc@ucc.co.ug, Website: http://www.ucc.co.ug
Uganda Communications Commission Blog 
Hullo all,
I have been receiving these notifications but am outside Uganda coming back Friday what should I do?
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The operators have been given the discretion to manage the updating of records of the person(s) abroad. For example, they have the option of you sending all your required details like a copy of your National ID and supporting information which can be used to secure your registration until you return for biometric verification. Or they can actually go ahead and switch you off until you are back into the country for new registration. Because UCC does not do the actual registration but monitors compliance, this has been left to the discretion of the operators.
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Thank UCC, l have register two sim cards, one for the phone and the other for the moderm. I hope this will not be affected
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Thank you for this feedback Anne. You are good to go. Regards. IKB
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But what mode of communication do Ugandans use towards their citizens? UCC and telcos sat in own meetings agreed actions and timelines but against us but failed to optimize all existing channels to share these actions. What am I supposed to do if I received this information today and it is the deadline day? I have tried to process for a NIN for sometime but because of health issues, I have still failed and going to the nearest point-Kololo, I was pushed back to my area of residence where I never be during working hours. Do you UCC guys even ever carry out adequate research to understand our challenges or you just impose to remain relevant to appointing authority. This confusion is killing this nation.
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Thank you for raising this concern Mwesigwa, rightly so, this updating of SIM card information did not affect everybody but a section of subscribers. There were eight different types of irregularities identified ranging from misspelt names, multiple registrations to the absence of biometric verification. A mass media campaign would have caused a rampage of even subscribers who have nothing to do with what is going on. Note that all registration done between March 2018 to date are not part of this process. There are challenges as you rightly put it but our environment requires that we deliver on execution inspite of the challenges. That said, the inconvenience is regrettable and the process can benefit from improvements. Despite all, there is progress and the communications sector is getting better. IKB
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This exercise wld have been easy but there were some problems.
one the net work was not stable it was on n off
Two Those wiz with extra numbers registered using their national ID numbers shd have received all numbers under their names for them to confirm n delete those they do not know.
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I lost my card ,I went to mbale Nira office to get confirmation letter they refer me to kololo for this letter ,,with a thousand people how can I get help how about a poor farmer who has no money to travel to activate the line or get a confirmation letter ,why can’t the confirmation letter be given from any Nira office . management should consider this too thanks
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I like this app
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