Ugandans shocked by medical death certificate requirement for SIM card transfer

• Many Ugandans were surprised to learn that a medical death certificate is needed for SIM card transfer after a spouse dies.

• Nada Andersen raised the issue publicly on X, questioning Airtel Uganda and UCC.

• A medical death certificate confirms the cause of death and is issued by a doctor.

• A NIRA death certificate is different and is mainly used for legal and official records.

Many netizens did not know that for a married person to have their deceased spouse’s SIM card transferred to them, they need a medical certificate of death or report.

The matter came to public attention after it was raised by Nada Andersen on X.

“@Airtel_Ug and @UCC_Official can you please explain this: why in the world will the telco require medical certificate of death to transfer a SIM card of a deceased to the spouse? What bizarre statistics are you drawing from someone’s medical history and cause of death, which should be a very private matter? Or you just enjoy people’s grief so much that you have to put such sadistic obstacles in people’s way? Is @NIRA_Ug death certificate not enough? Should I curse you in English, Serbian, or Rukiga?” Andersen posted on X.

A medical death certificate is an official document completed by a doctor or authorised medical practitioner to confirm that a person has died and to state the medical cause of death.

It usually includes the full name of the deceased, the date, time and place of death, the immediate cause of death such as heart failure, pneumonia or injury, underlying conditions that led to the death, and the doctor’s name, signature and registration details.

This certificate is different from a death certificate issued by the government registry, which in Uganda is handled by NIRA.

The medical death certificate explains why the person died, while the official death certificate from the civil registration office is used for legal purposes such as burial permits, inheritance, insurance claims and official records.

The debate has sparked questions among Ugandans about why telecom companies require both documents before approving a SIM card transfer for a surviving spouse.

In many cases, families also struggle to access mobile money and bank accounts left behind by deceased relatives, even when they are listed as next of kin. Being named as next of kin does not automatically give someone the legal right to access the deceased’s funds.

To claim money from a deceased person’s mobile money account or bank account, the law usually requires Letters of Administration if there is no Will, or Probate if there is a valid Will. These are court-issued documents that confirm who is legally allowed to manage and distribute the deceased person’s estate.

A death certificate alone is often not enough. Claimants may also be required to provide proof of identity, proof of relationship, and legal authority through Letters of Administration or Probate before funds can be released.

For mobile money accounts, if the claim is made early, the telecom company may help process the transfer. However, when the account stays inactive for a long period, it becomes dormant, the SIM card may be deactivated, and the remaining balance is transferred to the Bank of Uganda.

Under Section 57 of the National Payment Systems Act, 2020, an electronic money account with no transactions for nine consecutive months is considered dormant. If inactivity continues, the account is blocked and later closed, with the remaining money sent to the Bank of Uganda.

The rightful claimant can still apply for a refund from the Bank of Uganda within seven years of the transfer. After seven years, unclaimed balances are moved to the Consolidated Fund.

For bank accounts, unclaimed balances can also be transferred to the Bank of Uganda after long periods of dormancy, following legal procedures under the Financial Institutions Act, 2004.

Letters of Administration are especially important because handling a deceased person’s property without legal authority can amount to a criminal offence under Ugandan law.