The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) has announced that payments for all postal services will now be made through the e-Citizen platform. This follows last year’s presidential directive to deactivate existing paybills and onboard all government services onto e-Citizen.
The move aims to improve the efficiency and accessibility of postal services in Kenya. PCK is offering new address renters a 20% discount as an incentive.
PCK also directed users to visit the official Posta Kenya website (https://apps.posta.co.ke/boxupdate/) and follow the prompts provided to rent or renew a Post Office box.
Individual postal address rental will cost KSh 2,610, corporate addresses KSh 10,060, special corporate KSh 6,835, and KSh 8,335 for learning and religious institutions.
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For renewals, costs are KSh 2,050 for individuals, KSh 9,500 for corporate, KSh 6,275 for special corporate, and KSh 7,775 for educational and religious renters.
Payments for renewals will be made via the E-Citizen paybill number (222222), with the office code box number as the account number.
Customers can make payments using various mobile money services, such as M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Equity Cash. Alternatively, customers can also use their credit cards, debit cards, or prepaid cards.
All bank deposits will be made through the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), National Bank, Cooperative Bank, and Absa Bank.
Additionally, a convenience fee of KSh 50 will be included for all transactions.
Revamping the Postal Corporation of Kenya
The transition to e-Citizen is part of the William Ruto administration’s broader effort to revamp PCK since July 2022. Key goals include expanding service offerings and increasing revenues.
The government has already begun delivering medical supplies via PCK to health facilities nationwide, including essentials like mosquito nets.
A KSh295 million contract between PCK and the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency facilitates this medical logistics service.
In the financial year 2022–23, PCK achieved Sh600 million in logistics revenue from government contracts. New contracts in the current financial year are expected to increase this revenue to Sh900 million.
PCK has also expanded its Expedited Mail Services (EMS) and increased new client contracts in general. Additionally, PCK recently completed training 50 employees to become e-commerce ambassadors. These personnel will promote online retail postal services at post offices and in high-traffic areas.
The Broader Mission of the Postal Corporation of Kenya
As a commercial state enterprise established under the PCK Act 1998, PCK’s mission is to provide reliable, seamless universal postal and courier services to public and private sector organizations.
The transition to e-Citizen aims to improve accessibility and efficiency in pursuing this mission.
In sum, Kenyans can now pay for postal services via the e-Citizen portal as part of the Ruto administration’s push to modernize PCK. This includes offering discounts up to 20% for new address rentals. It comes alongside ongoing efforts to leverage PCK’s distribution infrastructure to facilitate government medical logistics and increase e-commerce offerings.
