The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) have signed an agreement estimated to be worth Sh700 million that will see PCK provide logistics services during the forthcoming 2022 General Election.
Under the three-year agreement, PCK will be charged with transportation of election materials countrywide to designated IEBC offices, warehouses, polling centres and to any other stakeholders.
Speaking during the signing Monday, IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan, said PCK would be the logistics partner for the 2022 General Election as he emphasized that “efficient logistics services were key to a credible electoral process.”
Marjan revealed that the contract would go beyond the 2022 General Election, adding that IEBC would use PCK’s services should it require conveyance of elections material from one location to another.
Postmaster General, Dan Kagwe, said the corporation would put in place a tracking mechanism that notifies IEBC officials on the status of the materials at any given point.
The Postmaster General said the Posta currently runs a customer web-based portal that allows capturing the details of materials at every station of collection to the point of delivery.
Under the partnership agreement, Posta will also be expected to ensure confidentiality in handling IEBC materials and any other related information within PCK custody for security and credibility of processes.
During the 2017 General Election, PCK earned Sh1.1 billion for logistical services offered to the IEBC in both the August 8th General Election and the October 26 repeat presidential poll.
Under the previous two-year contract, Posta was paid Sh600 million for delivering ballot boxes, papers and indelible ink to polling centres and another Sh500 million for distribution of electoral materials and equipment for repeat presidential poll.
Kagwe said PCK has great capacity to handle distribution and logistical services for IEBC and that the partnership would ease customer experience.
He asserted that PCK’s long-established national network of over 600 branches countrywide and experience in last-mile delivery will be an added advantage.
“We are making efforts to respond to the fast-changing consumer needs in adaptation of new technologies to enable the development of suitable last-mile delivery networks,” Kagwe said.
In the recent past, PCK has also partnered with government agencies such as National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), Kenya Medical and Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and the Directorate of Immigration Services as it rapidly innovates to recover from the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on its operations.
