The Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta) and online shop Kilimall have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the logistics service experience for online buyers. The partnership will allow Kilimall to use Posta outlets across the country.

The arrangement allows Kilimall to use post offices as a collection points from which online shoppers can collect their ordered goods.

Customers will also be able to place their orders at any post office branch.

Speaking during the signing ceremony at Posta Kenya headquarters, Postmaster General Dr. Enock Kinara said,

“E-Commerce is the next big thing and fast growing in Kenya and, therefore, we are excited to partner with Kilimall to deliver innovative logistics solutions that will enable consumers across the country enjoy the convenience and benefits of e-commerce.”

Kilimall logistics manager Chris Nyaga said that the move will enable his organisation increase their rural reach through Posta Kenya’s network across the country.

The online shop targets to empower 40 million Kenyans with cost effective products and services as well as support over 100,000 local businesses in a free online market place.

On postal services, post offices opened in Mombasa and the island of Lamu in May 1890 in the then British East Africa.

Two years later, offices were opened at Malindi and Wasini and by 1897 an office was to open at Kilindini, necessitated by the construction of the railway.

On July 1, 1895 control of the territory in British East Africa was transferred from the company to the imperial government.

The Postmaster of Mombasa was responsible for running the postal service in the territory and in 1901 the Postal Services of British East Africa and Uganda were amalgamated.

Kilimall joins a host of other online shopping platforms in what is seen as a move to have a piece of the market share in the business. Among the well-established platforms is Pigiame, OLX, Mimi and many others. Several online businesses are also being conducted on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

And in a report early this year, ‘Lifting barriers to internet development in Africa’, Kenya was reported to have the highest bandwidth per person in Africa, the fastest speeds and with one of the lowest internet rates.

Liquid Telecom Kenya CEO Ben Roberts said during a presentation on the report,

“Investment in the continent’s connectivity is creating multiple benefits that Kenya demonstrates as a clear example of a virtuous circle, where each investment accelerates the next, with an ever increasing footprint of beneficiaries.”

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) said early this year that internet penetration in Kenya stands at 52.3 per cent, placing it in the lead board in the region.

“Kenya has achieved a confluence of infrastructure and provision that has positioned it with the highest growth in internet take-up compared to income per capita in Africa. It has effectively become an outlier in its internet take-up, and seen Nairobi join Johannesburg as one of Africa’s two regional internet hubs,” said Roberts.

CNBC Africa said that Kenya boasts of a 20-fold increase in international bandwidth in the country to 20 gigabytes per second.