CA raids unlicensed courier service providers, arrests nine in Nairobi

Communications Authority of Kenya Director General David Mugonyi/FILE

Nine people were on Thursday arrested with eight companies flagged after the Communications Authority conducted a raid on unlicensed courier service providers in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi.

This was part of the regulators’ compliance and enforcement mandate, with the raid conducted in collaboration with the National Police Service.

The operation netted samples of parcels, receipts and consignment books which have since been preserved as court exhibits.

The suspects were held at the California Police Station and will be arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts, CA said in an official statement.

During the enforcement activity, eight firms were found to have been offering unlicensed parcel and courier services contrary to Section 67 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998.

“The authority urges firms wishing to engage in parcel and courier services to apply for the requisite licenses from our offices in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri and Mombasa. The Authority also cautions members of the public to seek parcel and courier services from CA licensed providers only,” the regulator said.

According to CS, dealing with licensed parcel and courier operators safeguards consumers, ensures secure and reliable delivery, and supports lawful and sustainable growth of the sector.

While the Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta Kenya) is the national postal service and a prominent courier service provider in Kenya, there are about 261 private national courier companies and 54 international companies licensed as couriers by CA.

The domestic market remains the biggest where according to the third-quarter sector statistics report for the financial year 2024-2025 (January–March), 2025, by CA, courier traffic on domestic parcels closed at 2.8 million with 764,948 domestic letters.

Domestic letters and parcels delivered through licensed private courier operators hover declined by 6.0 per cent and 25.5 per cent, respectively.

“On the other hand, all outgoing and incoming letters and parcels recorded growth, except for international incoming parcels, which declined by 5.9 per cent from 206,369 volumes recorded in the previous quarter,” CA says in its latest report.