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Communications Authority puts illegal courier service operators on notice

Communications Authority of Kenya Director-General David Mungonyi. (Photo: Communications Authority of Kenya)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | 23 Apr 2024

Offenders face fines of up to Sh300,000, imprisonment for a maximum of one year, or both.

The Communications Authority of Kenya has raised concerns over the illegal provision of postal and courier services by unauthorised operators in the country.

In a notice on Tuesday, CA Director General David Mugonyi revealed the unauthorised operations by certain Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Saccos and e-commerce players.

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"These entities have been found offering courier services without the necessary licenses from the Authority," he said.

Mungonyi stressed the legal consequences of such actions, citing Section 49 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, which stipulates penalties for contravening licensing regulations.

Offenders face fines of up to Sh300,000, imprisonment for a maximum of one year, or both.

As a result, the public has been urged to exercise caution and only engage with licensed postal and courier operators to ensure the safety of their items and mitigate potential risks associated with unlicensed providers.

Verification

To verify the legitimacy of courier service providers, individuals are advised to request valid compliance certificates issued by the Authority.

CA provides a comprehensive register of licensed courier providers on its website (https://www.ca.go.ke/), enabling consumers to make informed choices.

Mugonyi emphasised the importance of obtaining the appropriate license from the Authority and adhering to regulatory requirements to operate lawfully within the courier services sector.

"To operate lawfully, it is important to obtain the appropriate license from the Authority and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements at all times," Mugonyi said in the notice.

In a Gazette notice dated Friday, April 12, CAK issued a 7-day operating notice to six postal courier companies.

The authority had revealed that the national couriers would revoke the license upon lapse of the notice.

The national postal courier operators faced closure serving the major cities of Nairobi, Mombasa and Eldoret with branches in various parts of the country.

"The revocation will take effect 7 days from the date of this Gazette Notice. Any resources held under any of these licenses shall revert to the Authority upon revocation," it was directed.

In 2021, the number of licensed courier operators hit 289 in June 2021 up from 263 in June 2019, while the number of private courier outlets grew from 788 in the Financial Year 2019-2020 to 901 in 2020-2021

In 2017, the Authority closed down 13 illegal postal and courier operators during a nationwide crackdown to weed out unlicensed service providers.