Sh2.8bn needed for modern national address system

It may cost Kenya about Sh2.8 billion ($27.8 million) to implement a national address system designed to boost e-commerce and tax collection.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) says in a new report that the cash would be spent on hiring staff, buying and installing street signs across the country and transitioning from the present mail delivery process to the new system.

Most businesses and households in Kenya lack addresses and are located on unnamed streets. The government has been attempting to remedy this situation for years.

Previous attempts have fallen short due to the high cost and lack of coordination across . “Past plans were very costly and not sustainable… They also didn’t include everyone, now we want to bring all stakeholders on board,” said Communications Authority of Kenya director-general Francis Wangusi on Monday.

UPU has recommended a combination of national and county government budgetary allocations to fund the new address system. The government may also generate funds by selling data collected in the roll-out of the system.

Under the Constitution, counties have the mandate of physical planning which includes numbering and naming streets. Some of the devolved governments have already undertaken their own addressing projects leading to inconsistencies across the country.

Nairobi County is ahead of the pack following a project carried out between 2008 and 2010 that saw buildings in the central business district numbered. Machakos and Kiambu counties have also carried out feasibility studies on the matter.

However, these counties may have to overhaul their fledgling address systems if they do not adhere to the new standards being developed.

“I think every county has sort of started something. People are just doing it haphazardly. Before they go too far, we want to see what kind of format, framework and policies we will have in place so that they can do it uniformly,” said Mr Wangusi.