Transport

E-commerce growth pushes courier items to 1.6 million

posta

A Posta courier worker ferries parcels. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NMG

The number of courier items sent locally in the three months to December 2016  grew by a quarter aided by increased uptake of e-commerce.

A total of 1.6 million items were shipped in the quarter, up from 1.3 million items in the period to September 2016, according to latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya.

Kenyans are increasingly taking up to ‘e-tailing’ – where they shop online and have the goods delivered to their homes or offices.

Online bazaars such as and the need to make deliveries has provided a lifeline to courier operators.

However, the volume of letters posted locally dropped by 7.7 per cent to stand at 15.8 million letters as at December 2016, down from 17.2 million letters posted the previous quarter. 

The number of postal offices stands at 623, a figure that has remained unchanged, while courier outlets stood at 1,599 since June 2016.

The drop in letters sent locally through Posta comes at a time when the State agency has proposed up to 64 per cent increase in mail box charges to boost its revenues.