In Kenya, you can now use your mobile phone number as a postal address

Posted by Jambo 

With the advent of email, many people questioned the future of postal services in Kenya but it seems that Postal Corporation of Kenya has not only been able to hold its water but also capitalize on the emerging technological trends to propel itself forward.

The last bit of doubt got erased off my mind completely when postal corporation started partnering with emerging online shops like Jumia to deliver their customer’s purchases throughout Kenya and it seems that they are not done yet.

Postal Corporation has come up with yet another brilliant idea aimed at capitalizing the widespread use of mobile phones in Kenya to strengthen postal services in Kenya. Referred to as MPOST, this Virtual Postal Address System allows you to use your mobile phone number as your postal address.

All you have to do is register your mobile phone number with Posta and specify the area you reside e.g. Nairobi and your preferred postal code.  For example if you are in Nairobi you can choose 00100 for G.P.O if you feel it is the most convenient for you, 00618 for Ruaraka and so on.

And the best part, if you ever change your location permanently or temporarily e.g. for a holiday, you just need to update your postal code to reflect your new location and Posta will do the rest. When a letter or parcel is sent to you, Posta will notify you via SMS. You can then collect it from your preferred postal office.

How to Register Your Mobile Phone Number for MPost Postal Address

• Step 1: Send the word Mpost to 40777. This will connect you to the Posta mobile phone registration system.
• Step 2: Follow the prompts and fill in your name, ID number, and your current region of service (from among Nairobi, Mombasa and upcountry).
• Step 3: Agree to Posta’s terms of service by replying with the corresponding entry.
• Step 4: Complete the mobile phone registration process by sending 300 Kenyan shillings to Paybill number 506500 using the account number 07xxxxxxxx-Postal code. For example if your phone number is 072212345678 and your preferred postal code is 00618 (Ruaraka), your account number would be 072212345678-00618.

With the new Posta mobile phone addresses service, you don’t have to worry about that guy with whom you share an address box with but never goes to check it for letters. Please share your experience and thoughts about this postal corporation of Kenya service in the comments.

-kenyavitals.com

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The Postal Corporation of Kenya has in recent times struggleD to keep up with innovation. This follows the explosion of the internet and other technologies which eliminated the need for physical mail. The corporation was also slow to innovate and venture into other areas that would allow it to remain profitable. The Communications Authority of Kenya, the regulator for postal and courier services has been looking to spur the sub-sector through legal frameworks. These frameworks would allow for the resuscitation of the corporation besides allowing it to compete effectively.

Early this year CA sought proposals for  consultancy services to undertake independent study of Postal Corporation of Kenya  service delivery levels. In a tender notice on its website, CA said the review would allow for the harmonization of the operations of PCK to allow it compete effectively in this market. Postal Corporation has in recent times signed deals with Jumia to allow for the delivery of goods  by the online retailer across the country. It has also signed a deal with Barclays Bank of Kenya to allow for bank customers perform transactions in these branches.

In another milestone aimed at boosting its competitiveness, PCK has announced the launch of virtual postal address system that uses the mobile phone as the postal address for letter delivery. Once a user registers for the service, they can receive their letters/documents from any of the 622 PCK offices across the country, depending on convenience. Once a letter is received by the PCK, an SMS will be sent to the user, who can then choose from where to pick it up from. For an additional fee, the parcel/letter/document can be delivered to the client. The service referred to as  MPOST – Posta Mkononi has so far locked in 21,000 users.

Users register for the service via SMS by sending MPOST to 40777 and then following the prompts. The service will cosy just Kshs. 300/= a year unlike the 2,300 per year it costs to have a physical address. The government is set to roll-out a national addressing systems across the country which will also serve as a new revenue stream for the corporation.