PostaPay launches money service in US
The Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) has officially launched PostaPay, its money transfer service, for Kenyans living overseas.The service will enable Kenyans in the Diaspora to send funds directly to places such as schools when paying tuition for relatives or dependants.
The service is being offered through a partnership with Afripayments LLC, a US based company that is also a co-owner of Nairobi-based Afripayments Kenya Ltd.
A high powered delegation from PostaPay headquarters in Nairobi led by the Postal Corporation of Kenya chairman, Major general (Rtd) Peter Kariuki and the CEO and Postmaster general Mr Fred Odhiambo were on hand for the launch.
Kenya’s ambassador to the United States, Mr Rateng’ Ogego, was the chief guest during the official launching ceremony at a Washington DC hotel.
“The country is hungry for new investments,” Mr Odhiambo said.
Posta has over 200 outlets throughout Kenya and the number of outlets is to increase, he added.
Currently, he said, the focus is on automation, ramping up customer service and associated training as well as branding.
Odhiambo said his short-term goal was to grab a 10 per cent share of the remittances coming into Kenya from the Diaspora.
“The Kenyan entity is a joint venture between Afripayments LLC and a group of Kenyan investors,” said Ms Caroline Kurgat, Afripayments Manager for International Business Development. She said the company has formed strategic partnerships with corporations such as PayQuick and RIA that are active around the globe in the money transfer business.
PayQuick provides the technology that many in the money transfer business use.
The Afripayments US President and CEO, Ms Dwayne Johnson, said his corporation was fully committed to the partnership with the Postal Corporation of Kenya.
She said customers have the option of sending money either through the PostaPay website or by placing a toll free call to the call centre that is located in Kenya.
With the launch, the scene is set for a PostaPay head to head competition with the two leading Money transfer Operators that dominate the money transfer business into Kenya.
These are the Western Union money transfer and Moneygram.
