KENYA'S MOBILE PHONE CEOs QUESTIONED BY POLICE

KENYA'S MOBILE PHONE CEOs QUESTIONED BY POLICE

Kenyan police have questioned the bosses of four mobile phone companies over their firms' registration of activated mobile phone lines, followed reports that unregistered mobile phones were used by the militant Islamist who attacked the West-gate shopping mall in Nairobi on Sept. 21.

The four were threatened with arrest on Monday

after officials accused them of selling unregistered SIM cards, allegations that they denied. In 2010, Kenya made it mandatory for all SIM cards to be registered, a move intended to reduce crime.

In a joint release, the chief executive officers of Kenya's four top mobile phone companies – Safaricom, Airtel, Orange Kenya and Yu Mobile – said they had given statements after reporting to police stations. They denied that there are active SIM cards that are unregistered, and said their companies adhere to international security standards.

But in a BBC interview, Kenya's communications chief Francis Wangusi said police had evidence to the contrary." The denial can be there, but the fact is that unregistered SIM cards are still on their networks, and police have proven that," he said.

Police had carried out swoops in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday, which showed that "Quite a few SIM cards bought in the streets were activated there and then," Mr Wangusi added.