CA launches street name plan for door step delivery

The Communications Authority of Kenya offices in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

What you need to know:

  • The regulator on Wednesday started the search for a consultant to review the draft National Addressing System (NAS), which will pave the way for the fresh numbering of addressees.
  • The consultant will be expected to guide the fresh listing of streets, buildings and homes through a pilot targeted at Mount Kenya region, Lake Region and Coastal region.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has started the process of numbering streets, buildings and homes to ease door-to-door delivery of letters as well as goods from online retailers like Jumia.

The regulator on Wednesday started the search for a consultant to review the draft National Addressing System (NAS), which will pave the way for the fresh numbering of addressees.

The consultant will be expected to guide the fresh listing of streets, buildings and homes through a pilot targeted at Mount Kenya region, Lake Region and Coastal region.

“This will not only facilitate implementation of the addressing system but will ultimately contribute to national development efforts since it will facilitate better service delivery to people and business,” says CA.

In 2016, Universal Postal Union, which was offering technical assistance to CA, said in a preliminary report that CA would require $28 million (Sh2.8 billion) to implement the project.

The NAS project, which was mooted in 2008, will see all streets, roads, highways, residential and commercial residences digitally marked and indexed to facilitate easy identification and location of premises.

The planned addressing system will help courier firms like Postal Corporation of Kenya and online retailers to easily deliver goods with the assistance of a digitised maps.

It will also remove the hurdle of locating buyers for the many retailers turn to social media to sell. Absence of detailed street and building addresses has left many of online businesses unable to get clear and precise locations of customers, opting to concentrate operations on major towns.

Cab hailing service firms such as Uber and Taxify will also benefit since their models are premised on ability to pick up and drop customers with limited hitches.