The Ministry of ICT has proposed new strict regulations for companies including transport operators such as matatus that offer delivery services around the country.
In a notice by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), all courier services will be required to submit quarterly reports on customer complaints received.
The establishments will also be required to share the nature and number of the complaints and how long it took to resolve them. This might prove to be a logistical nightmare for small PSV operators and riders around the country.
In the Kenya Information and Communications (Postal and Courier Services) Regulations, 2023 proposed by ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, courier companies will further be required to provide customers with real-time tracking of parcels and items sent.
Other guidelines are that each firm should have a success rate of at least 80 per cent of all dispatched and delivered within a month.
"The authority may for the purpose of monitoring the quality of courier services provided by a licensee, appoint an independent consultant who shall by a written report make recommendations to the CA on measures to be taken to improve the quality of services," read part of the guidelines.
On licensing, the courier services licensee shall not sign an agreement to transfer its assets or to merge or take over another licensee or entity without the express written approval of the CA.
Courier services will also be required to report the number of items lost every month.
If the complaints are not addressed, the customer may send a written complaint to the CA.
All who do not comply with the new guidelines will be found guilty and will be charged per the Act.
In the past, the government ordered all couriers to ensure goods sent to the same urban areas reach the destination within 24 hours while those sent to different urban areas should arrive after two days.
Other regulations the firms are supposed to adhere to include ensuring that not more than one per cent of parcels and items sent by customers are damaged or lost.
Following the new guidelines, CA has called upon the public and interested parties to share their views on the issue before December 14, 2023.
"The purpose of the guidelines is to improve the postal security framework and ensure a safe operating environment for all parties involved," CA stated in a statement.
