The SIM card replacement wave is still spreading across all networks. MTN Uganda and Aritel Uganda already made official announcements about which service centers have been furnished with National Identity card verification & Bio-metric systems. Africell is the latest to make a similar announcement. They took to their social media accounts to make the official announcement to their subscribers who are looking to replace lost, stolen or damaged SIM cards.
UCC suspended SIM card issuance and replacement a month back to pave way for new controls aimed at improving verification of phone subscribers as a result of rising crime. The stringent measures the regulator unveiled were characterized by bureaucracy as you had to get a letter from NIRA. This red tape brought a public outcry because of the delayed results it was delivering.
The government procured 50 smart card readers and NIRA handed them over to Uganda Communications Commission. The communication sector regulator then gave each telecom company 10 card readers which the telecom companies have distributed to their different service centres across the country to make SIM card replacement easier.
The #DontBeCheated network has distributed the National Identity card reading systems to some of its service centres across the country to bring SIM card replacement and registration closer to its subscribers, and eliminate the red tape that has been going on this past month.
Africell Uganda has announced that SIM Card replacement is now available at selected Africell service centers which have been furnished with the National ID verification & Bio-metric systems.
To replace your Africell SIM card, you have to present an original National Identity Card (for Ugandans) or a passport (for foreigners) and a letter of loss of SIM card from the Police to any of the Africell Uganda shops mentioned below. Africell has not charged a fee for replacing a SIM card like the other networks as seen in our previous articles.
Free SIM Card replacement is now available at Africell Uganda shops listed below, which are equipped with National ID biometric verification system.
Kampala – Head Office shop and Boulevard.
Entebbe – Victoria Mall shop.
Hoima shop.
Jinja shop.
Mbale shop.
Gulu shop.
Arua shop.
Masaka shop.
Mbarara shop.
Also take note that SIM card replacement can only be done by the SIM card owner and not any of their representatives. Only individuals that have the required documentation, that is an Original National ID (for Ugandans) or Passport (for foreigners) and a police letter indicating a loss of SIM card will be able to freely replace their Africell SIM cards at the above shops.
