Why One Man is Suing Safaricom Over His Reassigned SIM Card
A legal battle has erupted between Safaricom and one of its long-term subscribers, Elias Wekesa, over the controversial practice of “number recycling.” In a lawsuit that could set a major precedent for digital rights and data privacy in Kenya, Wekesa alleges that the telecommunications giant deactivated and reassigned his phone number to a new user without any prior notice or his consent. This case brings to the forefront a growing concern for millions of mobile users who rely on their phone numbers as the primary key for their digital identities, including banking, social media, and government services.
The dispute highlights a significant friction point between corporate policies and consumer security in the digital age. Safaricom, like many global telcos, routinely recycles numbers that have been inactive for a specific period—typically 90 days—to manage the limited supply of mobile prefixes. However, Wekesa’s lawsuit argues that this practice, when executed without rigorous notification, exposes original owners to extreme risks. By reassigning a number that is still linked to a subscriber’s personal accounts, the telco effectively hands over a “digital skeleton key” to a complete stranger, potentially granting them access to M-Pesa balances, private WhatsApp messages, and sensitive personal data.
Wekesa’s legal challenge emphasizes that a phone number is no longer just a tool for communication but a critical asset that holds the gate to a person’s entire financial and social life. He contends that the sudden deactivation caused him significant distress and loss, particularly because his number served as his primary identifier for essential services. The lawsuit seeks to hold Safaricom accountable for what Wekesa describes as a breach of duty of care, arguing that the company failed to ensure he was properly informed before his digital identity was essentially “sold” to someone else.
As the case moves through the Kenyan courts, it is expected to shine a harsh light on the transparency of Safaricom’s internal policies. While the company maintains that recycling is necessary for network efficiency, consumer advocates are watching closely to see if the court will mandate stricter notification protocols. The outcome of this case could force a total overhaul of how telecommunication companies handle inactive accounts, potentially requiring them to verify that all third-party links—especially financial ones—are severed before a number can ever be reassigned to a new subscriber.
