The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) has issued a warning to Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) regarding the provision of courier services without the appropriate licences.
In a public notice dated Tuesday, April 23, CA highlighted its observation of numerous PSVs offering these services to Kenyans without obtaining approval from the relevant government authorities.
Vehicle operators were cautioned that failure to comply could result in a fine of Ksh300,000. The warning reiterated that operating without the necessary licenses would not be tolerated.
"It has come to the attention of the Authority that a number of unauthorised Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Saccos and e-commerce players are offering courier services without obtaining the requisite license from the Authority.
"Pursuant to Section 49 of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, any person found contravening these provisions commits an offence and shall be subject to penalties upon conviction. Such penalties include a fine not exceeding Ksh300,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both," read the notice in part.
On the other hand, Kenyans were also encouraged to be cautious of some of the courier companies operating in the country.
Kenyans were advised to demand for courier companies to produce their certificates of operation before sending their parcels.
"Members of the public are therefore advised to engage the services of licensed postal and courier operators to ensure the safety of their items and mitigate other risks associated with engaging unauthorized service providers.
"The public is further encouraged to verify the validity of courier service providers by demanding to view a valid compliance certificate issued by the Authority," read the statement in part
The full list of registered courier companies can be accessed on the CA website through; licensee-register.
In recent weeks, CA has revoked the licences of various courier companies for contravening the law.
Currently, there are over 200 companies that are licenced to offer courier services. Among them are matatus and long-distance companies.
