Public Service Vehicles (PSV) and e-commerce companies operating courier services without a license from the Communications Authority of Kenya have been warned that action will be taken against them.
This is after CAK Director General David Mugonyi issued a notice stating that operating courier services without the necessary license from the Communication Authority is a violation of the law.
“The Authority has noticed that several unauthorised public service vehicle (PSV) Saccos and e-commerce platforms are providing courier services without the necessary license from the Authority.”
“Any person that is found to be in violation of the provisions outlined in Section 49 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, is guilty of an offence and may face penalties or fines amounting to Sh300,000 or imprisonment for a maximum of one year or both upon being convicted,” stated Mr Mugonyi.
Mugonyi advised the public to only use postal and courier services from licensed operators in order to guarantee the security of their belongings, adding that the approach would also help the public minimise additional risks associated with using unauthorised service providers.
He further instructed the public to verify the legitimacy of courier service providers by asking to see a valid compliance certificate issued by the authority.
“Consumers can enjoy a secure and reliable service experience by choosing to support authorised operators, which in turn provides access to prescribed complaint resolution and compensation mechanisms,” he said.
Mugonyi further stated that the Authority’s website provides a detailed list of licensed courier providers as well as information on the courier market structure and license administration framework.
He further noted that obtaining the necessary license from the authority and consistently following regulatory guidelines were crucial for operators to ensure compliance.
The move comes after CAK published a gazette notice in early April issuing a seven-day operating notice to six postal courier companies, revealing that they would revoke the license upon lapse of the notice.
The courier operators are at risk of shutting down, despite providing services to major towns like Nairobi, Kiambu, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kisumu and Eldoret.
As of June 2021, there were 289 licensed courier operators, an increase from 263 in June 2019. Additionally, the number of private courier outlets grew from 788 in the financial year 2019–2020 to 901 in 2020–2021.
By Hellen Lunalo
