The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has on Monday announced new guidelines to streamline the replacement of SIM cards, particularly for customers without National Identity Cards or readable biometrics.
The measures, issued on December 9, aim to address longstanding challenges and ensure a secure, efficient process for affected individuals.
For customers replacing a SIM card without a National ID, the process begins with reporting the loss of the ID at the nearest police station to obtain a confirmation letter.
This letter must then be submitted to the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), which will issue a document verifying the individual’s registration in the national database.
With the NIRA-issued letter, customers must appear in person at their telecom operator’s service center for physical identification.
The UCC stated that services such as SIM card replacement, swapping, editing, or upgrades will only be conducted at official telecom customer service centers or authorized agent shops. Furthermore, SIM cards will strictly be reissued to the registered owner, ensuring the integrity of the process.
For customers whose biometrics are unreadable or missing, the guidelines differ slightly. Ugandan nationals in this category must acquire a validation letter from NIRA, while asylum seekers and refugees should obtain a similar document from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
Those with valid documents such as National IDs, asylum seeker cards, or refugee cards must present the originals to the telecom operator for processing.
It is important to note that these guidelines do not apply to individuals registering new SIM cards without a valid National ID.
