Information Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has vowed to turn around the fortunes of Postal Corporation of Kenya, popularly known as Posta.
Owalo promised to help Posta move away from the tradition courier business it has been accustomed to, and embrace e-commerce and logistics business.
He said Posta has the widest network of facilities in the county, which would make logistics business make sense for the corporation.
Owalo said the ministry is on the verge of acquiring a partner for an e-commerce platform, and at the tail end of getting a provider for payment gateway.
“I am turning around that entity with the support of everybody around within that institution and the ministry,” he said.
Speaking during an interview with Spice FM, Owalo said Posta is already doing last mile delivery of passports, medical supplies and the Star newspaper throughout the country.
“Posta has also gotten into a partnership with Radio Africa to deliver newspapers and MyGov. There is a lot of potential but it requires divergence in thinking,” he said.
Posta successfully distributed 100,000 free copies of the Star newspaper on Tuesday, its first delivery following the partnership with Radio Africa Group.
The corporation laid out an elaborate logistical plan to overcome geographical barriers in the distribution of the paper.
The CS added the ministry intends to turn Posta into a logistics hub leveraging on e-commerce.
He added that Posta is in itself a brand, and that Kenyans are sympathetic to the corporation for the woes it is facing.
“When we came into office, we found a five-month salary arrears, and as at December, we paid Sh435 million to clear the balance,” he said.
Owalo added that he has instructed the management to ensure they pay salaries at the end of every month.
