NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, December 4, 2014

The High Court will determine in January whether a mobile operator associated with Equity Bank should roll out the thin SIM technology. Judge Isaac Lenaola on Thursday said he will deliver his verdict next year after parties in the case made their final submissions.

Advocate Wambua Kilonzo for the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) urged the court to dismiss Bernard Murage’s petition which is contesting the rollout, on grounds that Finserve Africa Ltd has not provided any safeguard measures on the vulnerability of over eight million account holders’ personal data in Equity’s possession.

Kilonzo argued that Murage, an advocate of data protection through had failed to demonstrate which information will be infringed by the respondents if the technology is rolled out.

Justice Lenaola heard the petitioner has nothing to worry about since there are enough laws to protect the thin SIM technology.

“The Communications Authority has communicated to Finserve Africa that thin SIM technology will be withdrawn if there are any vulnerabilities,” he argued.