The Postal Corporation of Kenya in its quest to be a leading global provider of postal and related services has embarked on the implementation of its ambitious 2019/2022 corporate strategic plan in a bid to remain efficient and competitive by providing end to end, innovative, reliable, Mail, Courier, logistics, e-commerce and payment services for its customers.
The Strategic Plan, which has four thematic areas; Human Capital Development: which will strengthen productivity, competence development, performance management culture and the right organizational structure to drive the organization’s vision, Customer Service Excellence: to focus on customer retention, growth satisfaction and Customer Relationship Management, Internal Business Processes: to strengthen operational efficiency to ensure service delivery, systems uptime, Information, Communications & Technology integration, delivery standards and risk management and Revenue Growth: which is pegged as the cornerstone of success and shall focus on growing revenue while managing costs for positive results.
The Strategic Plan provides a clear blueprint of initiatives and projects that will enable Posta Kenya be an innovative, trusted logistics and payment service provider. Towards this end, the Corporation endeavours The Corporation’s mandate will be further improved when the organization achieves seamless interconnectivity between its domestic and international network through its strength that lies in the physical, electronic and financial dimensions.
Commenting on the Strategic Plan, Chairman of the Corporation’s Board Hon. Nicholas Salat said, “It is our conviction in the coming three years that PCK will capitalize on good customer relationships and partnerships to provide quality and innovative products and services for more effective public service delivery”. He further reiterated that, “This will also contribute to the important role of postal business in Kenya’s development agenda as the Government strives to transform the country into middle-income status by the year 2030. The annual revenue is projected to average annual growth of 3% and cumulatively realize a 10% growth at the end of the plan period”.
The Corporate Strategic Plan was developed after taking cognizance of all new developments both within and outside the country. To ensure that Posta Kenya adequately plays its role in the National Development Agenda, the Plan outlines various initiatives that are growth-oriented measures towards increasing its revenues and operational efficiency significantly.
The Postmaster General, Mr. Dan Kagwe echoed the Chairman’s sentiments and expressed his delight in presenting the 6th Corporate Strategic Plan, the Postal Corporation of Kenya’s roadmap for the period 2019/22. He went on to say, “A clear plan is required now more than ever before; when the Post Office is undergoing a tremendous transformation in order to remain relevant in the postal and courier market characterised by the rising number of techno-savvy consumers”. The Postmaster General further emphasized on the Corporations commitment towards growing its revenue base to over Kshs 13 billion in the three years respectively as follows: 2019/2020 (Kshs 4.2 billion); 2020/2021 (Kshs 4.3 billion) and 2021/2022 (Kshs 4.4 billion).
The 2019/22 Corporate Strategic Plan is as a result of extensive consultation and collaboration from all stakeholders. The Blueprint (2019/22 CSP) comes to effect from 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2022 and is expected to take the Corporation to the next level going forward.
The Posta Kenya blueprint 2019/22 boasts of a revised vision, which is to be an innovative and trusted postal, logistics and payment service, provider. The Corporation’s modified Mission now is to provide end to end, innovative, reliable, Mail, Courier, Logistics, e-Commerce and Payment Services that delight our customers and create value to it stakeholders.
Further, the Core Values of integrity, Professionalism, Teamwork, Stewardship and ‘Customer First’ approach will be the driving force of the organization. The Strategic Plan 2019/2022 comes at a critical time when the Postal industry is going through changes as a result of rapid technological advances, innovations and steady growth in e-commerce.
Technological advancements…
The Corporation in April this year marked the launch of the Posta Cargo Service and commissioning of the National Logistics Hub. With this launch the Corporation is now witnessing the fusion of the Postal and Courier sector with technology, a phenomenon that has boosted the industry. Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for the Post to secure its relevance world over.
The Postal industry worldwide is striving to remain in tandem with the global trends in the sector. This is equally the case in the local postal sector, as it targets to build a seamless network that is connected both virtually and physically. The current market and customer needs calls for involvement of all players in the postal supply chain, including customs and transport as well as the facilitation of cross-border e-commerce.
Speaking at the launch of the National Logistics hub in April, ICT Principal Secretary Jerome Ochieng said that the success of the Post highly relies on the ability to respond to fast-changing consumer needs and adapting to new technologies. This enables the development of suitable last-mile delivery networks, which today are the enablers of economic, social, financial and digital inclusion.
‘The Universal Postal Union is building a comprehensive framework for e-commerce, which enables everyone to share in the emerging opportunities. Kenya has been selected by the Union, as one of the countries to roll out the regional e-commerce hubs in East Africa, leveraging on the extensive postal outlets. This initiative, together with the on going National Addressing System (NAS), will greatly boost local and regional e-commerce, and enable Kenya to tap into the opportunity whose global value is estimated to rise to 2.36 Trillion dollars by the year 2022,’ noted the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of ICT Jerome Ochieng at the launch event.
The National Addressing System ((NAS) provides for, among others, the naming, coding, numbering of streets and properties, in order to facilitate easy identification and location. The goal is to ensure that every person in the country has an address to be reached when necessary. We envisage to have digitized maps that will be used in the management of settlements and urban communities.
‘The ICT Ministry, in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya and other stakeholders, are committed to deliver the NAS whose benefits are immense. Once in place, the NAS will ease the delivery of goods and services, and reduce costs across the board through improved efficiency on account of reliability,’ added the PS
The PS noted that The Posta Cargo Service a product of Postal Corporation of Kenya will focus on Clearing and Forwarding to ease import and export of goods and services. ‘I urge all the Government Ministries and Agencies to give Posta Kenya an opportunity to clear their goods. The Central Bank of Kenya, Independent Electoral & Boundaries Commission and National Oil Corporation can testify that Posta Kenya is capable of doing an exemplary job,’ he said.
With these advancements, Posta Kenya has an opportunity to enhance its business performance portfolio. The PS commended the Postal Corporation of Kenya for introducing relevant and innovative products and services riding on ICT platform, including Tunza Nyumba na Posta, E-Njiwa, EMS2GO and M-Post among others.
‘The Government is collaborating with Amazon.Com to develop the e-commerce sector in Kenya. The Corporation must embrace technology in order to secure its future in the market,’ said PS Ochieng.
Big 4 Agenda…
In line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big 4 Agenda, the Postal Corporation of Kenya in May launched the timely and notable Commemorative Stamp issue of the Big 4 Agenda that communicate the government’s dedication to delivering on Manufacturing, Universal Healthcare, Food security and affordable housing. The stamps launched depict Kenya’s national roadmap to prosperity and industrial development. In its operations as a Corporation, Posta Kenya classifies stamps into two segments, namely; Definitive and Commemorative. Definitive stamps are issued essentially for postage services while commemorative stamps are issued to mark special events or occasions of national or international importance.
In a statement read on behalf of ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru by the Information Secretary in the Ministry Judy Munyinyi Mumo, the CS noted that the Post Office remains the most accessible, effective and time-tested communications platform in Kenya, with a vast network and varied product portfolio that greatly benefits the general public countrywide. Adding that this is a clear demonstration of the pivotal role Posta Kenya plays in extending socio-economic benefits to the public.
‘Postal Corporation of Kenya has made tremendous steps in its growth in the past 20 years, diligently demonstrating an ability to progress without financial support or subsidy from the National Treasury, this even in the face of growing market challenges such as liberalization, competition and dynamic regulatory policies. I am proud to state that Posta Kenya has over the years continued to communicate important national historical facts about our country, Kenya, through its postage Stamp,’ read the CS speech in part.
‘The Postage stamp carries particular significance to us in the Postal Corporation of Kenya. This is because it is the tool that justifies a prepayment for mail postage. It is a means of expressing our culture and history, a national ambassador for the country’s attractions and an educational tool for our beloved Kenyans and Global Citizens,’ said Post Master General Dan Kagwe at the launch event.
The Ministry, according to CS Mucheru is working closely with all the stakeholders in the National Government to ensure that Posta Kenya is considered as the National Payment Gateway for all Public Services going forward. This in turn, he says, will go a long way towards making Kenya a cashless economy, which is one of the most critical agendas of the Government today.