CA revokes licences for 15 courier firms

CA Director General Ezra Chiloba. [File, Standard]

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has revoked licences for 15 postal and courier operators operating in the country.

This comes on the back of heightened regulatory scrutiny on the sector that has in recent years seen an influx in new service providers boosted by the growth of the local e-commerce industry.

“Subject to the postal or courier licence conditions, the authority wishes to notify the public that it has revoked the postal or courier licences held by the underlisted firms,” said CA Director General Ezra Chiloba in a public notice yesterday.

The affected operators include long-distance transport companies that also offer courier services such as Samper Tours and Travels, Destiny Parcel Services and Spanish Courier Ltd.

Others include Apollo Express Ltd, Grafa International Ltd, Joham Moving Enterprises, Rising Freight Ltd and Exodus Parcels Ltd among others.

The Latest CA data indicates that the number of postal and courier operators in the country stood at 289 last year, a 26 per cent increase from 2019.

An inspection of 470 postal and courier outlets last year found some licensees non-compliant in their tariff charges, customer complaints mechanisms and improper handling of customer items under their care.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joseph Mucheru last year ordered the closure of unlicensed players in the sector.

“My ministry and the industry regulator noted with concern that a number of firms took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to start offering unlicensed courier services in the country,” he said.