Not many Ugandans care about the names under which their SIM cards are registered until the eleeta manya ki part, the mobile money stage of confirming recipient names, when, every time you are asked, it is the unfamiliar name that catches them off guard. It is even more surprising when the name is of the opposite gender.
Given the systems in Uganda, there are several reasons why many users own SIM cards registered under different names that are displayed on mobile money.
From students who acquired their first SIM card using their parents’ or guardians’ national identification before getting their own, to adults who, for you-never-know reasons, do not or did not have identification cards to register a SIM card, many Ugandans fall into these categories. Having been one of them, the moment I received my national ID, the first thing I did was change the name under which my line and mobile money were registered to my own. Here is how I did it.
With the company of the person whose ID was initially used to register your sim card, walk to any MTN Uganda Service centre, not a mobile money agent, and state your case.
Carrying both original IDs, yours and the other party’s, you will be asked to hand them over along with your mobile phone. In some cases, you might be required to write down your phone number.
You will then be asked a few questions to confirm that you are the rightful holder of the SIM and its mobile money. These questions may include the amount, time, and date of your last mobile money transaction, your recent airtime recharge, how long you have held the SIM card, and your mobile money balance.
If the person whose ID was used is no longer with us, presenting your ID and any relevant documents is the starting point. MTN will find a way to get the name updated.
In 10-20 minutes, depending on the speed of the agent at the service centre, your SIM registration and mobile money name will be updated to your own. For both eSIM and physical SIM cards, MTN Uganda charges UGX 1,500 to update the registered name.
After the name change, everything else on the line, airtime, call, SMS, and internet bundles, and your mobile money balance, is left untouched.
