The High Court has ruled that registered mobile phone numbers are linked to sensitive personal data and are protected under the kenyan Constitution's right to privacy, preventing their recycling without consent.

• The court directed the Attorney General, in collaboration with agencies like the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Communications Authority of Kenya, to implement safeguards within six months.
• A key aspect of the ruling is that previously registered owners must be notified before a deactivated number is reassigned.
• This landmark decision stemmed from a petition by prisoner Erastus Ngura Odhiambo, highlighting the vulnerability of inmates to privacy breaches.