• A Safaricom customer wondered why the telecommunications company had reassigned her late mother’s phone number to another user.
• Responding to the question, CEO Peter Ndegwa said unused phone numbers are usually moved because they cannot remain idle.
• The Safaricom boss explained that with the growing demand for mobile phone numbers in Kenya, there was a need to release inactive numbers for new users.

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business and technology journalism and offers in-depth insight into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa has explained why the telecommunications company reallocates unused phone numbers.

Why unused Safaricom numbers are reassigned

Ndegwa was responding to a question from a customer who wondered why his deceased mother’s phone number was given to another user.

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“Why can’t they let customers keep and remove their numbers when they come through? I usually have a strange feeling when I dial my late mother’s line, and she comes through, and a man with a rusty voice answers” , said a Kenyan woman identified as Stacy was looking for an answer.

Answering the question in an interview with Citizen TV, Ndegwa said unused phone numbers are usually moved because they cannot remain idle.

“I sympathize with Stacy. The reality of phone numbers is assigned by the regulator (CA). So if you are not using a number because the person has died or become inactive, we have to give that number back, and someone ‘Someone can’t keep a number they don’t use. If you haven’t used your number for six months, it will be re-allocated,’ Ndegwa reiterated.

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How to check Safaricom numbers registered under your ID

Cases of M-Pesa fraud affecting Safaricom customers have increased in recent years, with unsuspecting citizens losing thousands of shillings.

Cybersecurity expert Allan Lwala told TUKO.co.ke that with the increasing cases of identity theft and fraud, it is important to keep personal information confidential and ensure that no unauthorized telephone numbers are illegally registered in your name.

When TUKO.co.ke contacted Safaricom, the telecom company said its subscribers can check the phone numbers registered under their ID by dialing *106#.

Safaricom to increase internet speeds

Meanwhile, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the telecommunications company would soon launch a new high-speed internet package for consumers.

Ndegwa explained that the move was part of the company’s strategy to remain competitive in the face of strong competition from satellite internet provider Starlink and other service providers.

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Ndegwa said Safaricom would test 1Gbps for customers.

Edited by Asher Omondi, current affairs journalist and editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke