Nearly 90 per cent of Postal offices in Kenya have been connected to electricity to facilitate delivery of public services.

Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunication Sammy Itemere said the move will positioning the Corporation to leveraging on ICT, tap into large population for market to change to remain a sustainable business.

Mr. Itemere said ICTs have created additional opportunities for the post in Africa despite competition from instant messaging technologies. The Principal Secretary added that, experience in the region  has shown that ICTs are a reliable in improving the quality of service of the post, and in opening up new revenue streams by facilitating value addition to the existing postal infrastructure.

Speaking at a Nairobi Hotel today when he officially opened the 36th Ordinary session of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU), Mr. Itemere said there were collaborative efforts to have airlines accord postal mail priority in transportation.

Mr. Itemere said following technological innovations, e-commerce is now as a new frontier for intra-continental and global business that can catapult the postal sector.

He said, instant delivery of postal items is a key driver of e-commerce, which is expected  to revolutionize and re-energize the post in the region. “Efforts to link e-commerce to private letter boxes promises to enhance efficiency in service delivery and increase confidence of consumers” said Mr. Itemere.

He explained that new applications such as Dotpost have emerged as a secure online hub, through which the public can have their letters, bills, or statements delivered electronically to their inbox.

He challenged countries across the continent to invest in e-service mechanisms and processes to catalyze the adoption of e-commerce while at the same time innovating and diversifying services.

He said Kenya is in the process of rolling out a National Addressing System (NAS) that will make it easier for citizens to purchase goods online and have them delivered to their doorsteps to facilitate e-commerce.

He called on African countries to explore and invest in appropriate  systems and technologies to address cyber security threats which he noted erode consumer confidence in using the Internet as a platform for doing business.

By Cheruiyot Korir, May 2nd 2017