Uganda’s Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda has Tuesday chaired a meeting of officials from government’s information and communication agencies, and ministries of security, internal affairs and ICT with the issue of Sim-Card verification high on the agenda.

Last week, after a meeting with telecommunication companies’ representatives and officials from security forces, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) announced that all Ugandans had to verify their sim-card registration using information on the national IDs within a space of one week.

With the deadline just hours away on Thursday, Dr Rugunda has said that government was so far happy with the progress.

“Government is so far happy with the progress being made with the #SimcardVerification exercise & call on all to embrace it” Rugunda told reporters in Kampala, adding that “Government is also taking into consideration the concerns raised by sections of the public regarding the Simcard Verification.”

Asked whether there will be an extension of the deadline, the premier said: “At the close of the deadline, we shall assess and advise. Make every effort to meet and beat the deadline for the Sim-card Verification exercise.”

Earlier in the day, activists went to court requesting that the verification exercise be halted.