The government is seeking a payment gateway provider and e-commerce services provider in a new strategy to save the dwindling fortunes of Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK).
- According to ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, the parastatal’s future lies in e-commerce and that the government is in the process of upgrading the existing infrastructure.
- Posta is already offering last mile passport services and the delivery of medical equipment across the country.
- It has also entered into partnership with Radio Africa Group for the distribution of the Star Newspaper and MyGov across the country.
The first assignment was on Tuesday this week where the corporation said it laid out an elaborate logistical plan to overcome geographical barriers in the distribution of the paper. According to Postmaster General John Tonui, the furthest the Star newspaper was delivered was Malindi town in Kilifi County, 570km from Nairobi.
Tonui said the corporation has a sufficient fleet of lorries, pick-ups and saloon cars to provide seamless delivery across the country. He said they are capable of hiring/leasing planes and aircrafts on need basis.
Speaking on a morning radio show (Spice FM) on Wednesday, CS Eliud Owalo said they have come up with five pillars to help transform the PCK. They include policy and regulatory environment, the corporation’s financial management, internal organization and governance, product and services, and technology and innovation.
“We are determined because Postal Corporation of Kenya is a brand, issues like salary delays are being addressed to boost morale of workers for the efficient service delivery,” he said.
- In December, the corporation paid workers Sh435 million in salary arrears after receiving Sh550 million from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
- The Sh550 million is part of the Sh1.7 billion that PCK billed the poll body for services offered during the August 2022 General Election.
- According to the statistics from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the volume of domestic letters and parcels sent via private courier operators increased from 326,233 to 413,720 and 1.3 million to 1.4 million items, respectively.
Postal corporation signs deal with postal somaliland (kenyanwallstreet.com)
