By SUSAN NYAWIRA
Saturday May 21, 2022
The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Somaliland Postal Services to
explore cooperation in the areas of mutual interest in international mail
processing and delivery, knowledge exchange and innovative solutions in Kenya,
Somaliland and other African countries.
Under the new agreement, the two Postal Services have agreed
to work together in processing of inbound, outbound and cross-border mail and
parcels; transport of mail and parcels; delivery of mail and parcel.
They will also work together in electronic data interchange
(EDI), establishment of a joint venture; knowledge and training exchange and
transfer.
The unions also agreed to jointly set up mail and parcel
sorting centres at any place for the mutual benefit of the parties.
The Unions pledged to respect international security
standards and procedures and the use of electronic data interchange (EDI)
systems to facilitate the overall security of the international mail and parcel
transport network.
The signing of the agreement at the PCK headquarters in
Nairobi was witnessed by Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary for Information and
Communications, Innovation and Youth Affairs and Sharmake Gele, Somaliland
Deputy Ambassador to Kenya.
“Kenya fully supports the integration of countries in the
East Africa region, now with a population bigger than Europe. This MoU will go a long way in cementing
postal services integration in the region,” Mucheru said.
Gele said with the signing of the deal, Kenya offered
Somaliland an opportunity for a robust gateway for international connectivity.