KPLC and Posta sign electricity payments deal

The number of post offices offering electricity bill payment services around the country was on Wednesday increased from 40 to 200.

This followed an agreement between the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta).

Eventually, up to 300 post offices will be offering the service to KPLC customers at no additional costs, said Postmaster General Fred Odhiambo.

KPLC chief executive Don Priestman said that the rising number of electricity customers had led to the need for the company to have more payment points.

In the last financial year only, new customers connected reached 120,000, twice the number connected annually in previous years.

With the enhanced pace of customer connectivity the power company’s banking halls have become progressively congested.

The ongoing automation and networking of Posta’s countrywide post offices branch network has made the re-engineered Posta electricity payment system possible.

KPLC and PCK first came together in such partnership eight years ago using selected post offices in its network to collect electricity bills on behalf of KPLC for a commission.

The process of receipting and remitting revenue collected was, however, manual as post offices were then not automated.

With an electronic system, Posta will now be able to electronically transfer KPLC customers’ payments to be updated in the KPLC system on the same day.

The automation has also helped Posta mount other innovative products, include its money transfer service known as PostaPay.