Once a cornerstone of communication in Kenya, the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK), more commonly known as Posta, is in steep decline.
- •With the advent of widespread internet access and mobile communication, Posta’s traditional services have become increasingly obsolete.
- •In just 12 months, the Corporation’s domestic letter volumes plummeted from 1.42 million in April–June 2024 to just 145,627 in January–March 2025—an 89.7% drop that starkly reflects the deep structural and operational challenges plaguing the state-run parastatal.
- •Meanwhile, licensed private courier operators have seen a contrasting trajectory.
Domestic letter volumes handled by these firms more than doubled from 415,818 in April–June 2024 to 962,411 in July–September, before slightly declining to 764,948 in the latest quarter. Even after the decline, couriers handled over 5 times more domestic letters than Post.
Kenya’s courier sector continues to thrive, with over 1,700 licensed outlets as of June 2024, up from just 666 in 2019. Key players include:
The decline at Posta is not limited to domestic letters. Across all key categories, the state postal service has seen steep drops:
- •Letters – International Outgoing: Down from 62,392 to 14,727 (-76%)
- •Letters – International Incoming: Collapsed from 500,263 in Q4 2024 to just 23,435 in Q1 2025 (-95.3%)
- •Parcels – Domestic: From 641,262 to 161,331 (-74.8%)
- •Parcels – International Incoming: Down from 324,671 to 108,416 (-66.6%)
In contrast, courier companies continue to dominate the logistics space. Although they also saw slight pullbacks in Q1 2025, their year-on-year metrics show strong growth:
- •Courier Domestic Parcels: Up from 1.91 million to 2.76 million
- •Courier Letters – Intl Outgoing: Rose from 15,502 to 23,506
- •Courier Letters – Intl Incoming: Improved from 35,088 to 39,540
What’s Behind PCK’s Fall?
The dramatic decline in Posta’s volumes underscores the growing obsolescence of the traditional post office model in an age of e-commerce, real-time logistics, and digital communication. While private players have embraced technology, last-mile delivery, and app-driven platforms, Posta has remained heavily bureaucratic and underinvested.
Issues facing Posta include:
- •Delays in embracing digital transformation
- •Aging infrastructure and underutilized branch networks
- •Inefficiencies in operations and delivery reliability
- •Stiff competition from agile private sector players
Recent decisions have also stirred public criticism. In July 2024, Posta implemented a massive price hike for MPost virtual postal boxes, increasing fees from KSh 400 to KSh 9,450 for corporate holders and to KSh 2,000 for individuals—a 2,200% and 400% rise respectively. While PCK defended the move as part of restructuring and digitization, the hike raised concerns about accessibility and affordability.
MPost, which allows users to convert their mobile numbers into virtual post office addresses, was seen as a bridge to digital mail delivery. But these new charges risk alienating users, especially SMEs and rural clients.
Additionally, Posta has shifted all payments to the e-Citizen platform, in line with government directives to centralize state service transactions. This transition, while intended to enhance accountability, has added another layer of bureaucracy for users.
A Delayed Revamp
To address these issues, the government has initiated a strategic turnaround plan for Posta Kenya:
- •Restructuring the Corporation and reviewing the PCK Act
- •Launching a National Addressing System to support parcel delivery
- •Partnering with the Universal Postal Union for Post4Health
- •Consulting Lithuanian firm NRD to digitize PCK’s service delivery
- •Collaborating with KEMSA to use post offices in delivering health essentials like mosquito nets
