M-post posta Mkononi; Mobile Phone Number to be used as a Postal Address

Posta Kenya customers can now use their mobile number as a postal address thanks to a recently launched M-post posta Mkononi product. The future of Posta Kenya is one that has been under question since the advent of email, the explosion of the internet and other technological innovations. The once vibrant and busy environment that served millions of Kenyans did not seem to have a promising future in the past. The good news is that the Postal Corporation of Kenya has finally managed to capitalise on technology in a bid to survive in a competitive environment.

The product dubbed MPOST-Posta Mkononi is an innovation that allows users to enjoy postal services at their convenience using their mobile phones; hence, the label Posta Mkononi. The benefits of this product are affordability, convenience, and security. A user will only be required to pay Ksh. 300 annually for the virtual post box, a negligible fee compared to the amount people pay for a physical address.

Users who have a physical post office box with the Postal Corporation of Kenya can now enjoy the convenience of receiving notifications when there is a letter in their physical box. All they are required to do in order to enjoy this service is to link their physical boxes with the virtual address. This implies that this body is not doing away with physical boxes. The Corporation hopes to strengthen postal services in Kenya amid technological innovations that have strengthened and facilitated communication.

To register for this service, users will send an sms with the name “Mpost” to 40777 and proceed to follow simple steps in the Posta mobile phone registration system. Details such as the area of residence, ID number, and preferred postal code are to be specified. Those in Nairobi can, for instance, choose 00100 for G.P.O. The fee is to be sent to the Paybill number 506500 using the account number. The account number will appear as 07xxxxxxxx-Postal Code i.e. mobile number-postal code.

With the new affordable, convenient and secure service, Posta Kenya has proved that it is no longer struggling to keep up with technological innovation. It can now compete effectively in a market that is driven by technological innovations particularly when it comes to communication.