This archive report was first published on 9 October 2021.
On October 9, 2021, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) announced plans to crack down on unlicensed e-commerce firms operating in the country.
CA Director General Ezra Chiloba stated that the postal and courier sector has experienced significant growth, particularly during the pandemic, but this has also led to an influx of rogue service providers preying on users.
"The authority is currently carrying out a market study in the postal and courier sub-sector to establish service access gaps and inform remedies and initiatives towards boosting services for consumers," Mr. Chiloba said.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru also expressed concern over firms operating without licenses, stating that his ministry and the CA had noted with concern that a number of firms took advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to start offering unlicensed courier services.
"I am calling upon the CA to enhance its enforcement interventions across the country and ensure those firms operating without licences are weeded out of the market," Mr. Mucheru said.
The move is also seen as an attempt to give a fighting chance to the Postal Corporation of Kenya, which is struggling to maintain operations amid myriad challenges.
