Logistics, couriers & delivery · Kenya

Delivery and courier SMS in Kenya

In Kenya a parcel often finishes its journey on a boda boda, with a rider looking for a building that has no street number. A clear SMS with the rider's contact, a delivery code and the expected time saves calls and failed trips. eSMS Africa sends these updates from your dispatch system as each status changes.

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Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom Delivery reports From KES 1.08 per SMS

HARAKAEXPTransactional

Haraka Express: Your parcel HX44821 is on the way. Rider Kevin, 0712 000 555, arrives 2-3pm. Share your location pin if needed.

127 chars · 1 segment · GSM-7

Kenya context

What makes logistics, couriers & delivery messaging different in Kenya

Many Kenyan addresses are described by landmarks rather than street numbers, so the first useful SMS often asks the customer to share a location pin or call the rider.
Parcels travel between towns by bus and shuttle companies and are collected at depots and agents in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. Customers need a code and the depot location to collect.
Cash on delivery is giving way to M-Pesa payment on the doorstep, so delivery messages often include a till or paybill number for the balance.
Transport is one of the sectors where registration with the ODPC is mandatory regardless of size, and couriers hold sender and recipient details for every parcel.

What to send

Messages logistics, couriers & delivery teams in Kenya send

Dispatch notice with tracking

When a parcel leaves the warehouse, send the tracking number, the expected delivery day and a short link to live status. Customers who can track a parcel call your office less.

Rider on the way

Send the rider's first name and phone number as they set off, so the customer can guide them to the gate. Mask numbers through your call centre if you prefer.

Delivery code

Send a one-time delivery code that the customer gives the rider on handover. It works as proof of delivery and reduces disputes over parcels that never arrived.

Depot or agent pick-up

Tell the recipient which depot or agent holds the parcel, the opening hours and the collection code, with a reminder if it is not collected within a few days.

Failed delivery rescheduling

After a missed attempt, send a link to choose a new time or a pick-up point instead of leaving the rider to call repeatedly. Fewer wasted trips means lower fuel cost per parcel.

Sample messages

Copy-ready templates for Kenya

Character counts and segments are calculated with the same GSM-7 and Unicode rules used for billing. Replace the example brand and values with your own.

Rider on the way Transactional

Haraka Express: Your parcel HX44821 is on the way. Rider Kevin, 0712 000 555, arrives 2-3pm. Share your location pin if needed.

127 chars · 1 segment · GSM-7

Delivery code OTP

Haraka Express: Give code 7351 to the rider to receive parcel HX44821. Do not share it before the parcel is in your hands.

122 chars · 1 segment · GSM-7

Pick-up notice (Kiswahili) Transactional Kiswahili

Haraka Express: Mzigo wako HX44821 umefika ofisi ya Kisumu. Chukua kwa kutumia namba 7351. Tunafunga saa 12 jioni.

114 chars · 1 segment · GSM-7

Rules that apply

Compliance for logistics, couriers & delivery SMS in Kenya

A practical summary with sources, not legal advice. Check the regulator's current text for edge cases.

Delivery notices, codes and pick-up alerts are transactional and can be sent at any hour, but customers dislike late-night messages. Schedule non-urgent notices for working hours.
Transport businesses must register with the ODPC regardless of size. Only use recipient numbers for the delivery they were given for, not for later marketing.
Delivery codes act as proof of handover. Send them from a recognisable transactional sender ID and tell customers never to share the code before receiving the parcel.
If you share the rider's number, tell riders in their contract and limit what personal data appears in the SMS.

Across Kenya

Telecom regulator: Communications Authority of Kenya (CA)
Data protection: Data Protection Act, 2019, Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC)
Languages: English, Kiswahili
Payments: M-Pesa, Airtel Money, T-Kash

The Kenya Information and Communications (Consumer Protection) Regulations, 2010 require automated direct-marketing schemes to be opt-in and to give a working way to stop messages.
The Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021 treat electronic messages as direct marketing: offer a free, simple opt-out in every promotional SMS and honour objections. The ODPC has made awards against firms over unsolicited messages.
Safaricom separates promotional and transactional sender IDs. Its operator notice requires promotional traffic to carry an opt-out and to be sent between 08:00 and 18:00; OTPs and alerts are not time-restricted.
Political bulk SMS follows the CA guidelines on political messages (vetting before sending, English or Kiswahili only).

Sender ID registration in Kenya

Send it

From your system to Safaricom and Airtel in one call

1Create an account and copy a test key (esms_test_...) to try the integration without spending credit.
2Request your sender ID for Kenya. Until it is approved you can send from the eSMS default sender.
3Call the send endpoint from your app, or upload a CSV in the dashboard with merge fields like {{name}}. Delivery reports arrive by webhook.

Need one-time codes? eSMS Verify generates, sends and checks them in two calls. Full reference in the API docs.

curl -X POST https://sms.esmsafrica.io/api/messages/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ESMS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+254712345678",
    "text": "Haraka Express: Give code 7351 to the rider to receive parcel HX44821.",
    "sender_id": "HARAKAEXP"
  }'

Live pricing

SMS pricing in Kenya

Per-SMS rates for one segment, updated live. Pay as you go with no monthly minimum; volume rates apply automatically by monthly spend.

Basic

KES1.08

per SMS· USD 0.0083

Monthly spend USD 1 - USD 1,000

Business

KES0.9

per SMS· USD 0.0069

Monthly spend USD 1,001 - USD 4,999

Enterprise

KES0.15

per SMS· USD 0.0012

Monthly spend USD 5,000+

Estimate a campaign with the SMS cost calculator or compare all countries in the Africa SMS pricing index.

FAQ

Logistics, couriers & delivery SMS in Kenya: common questions

Should we send delivery codes through Verify or the SMS API?

Either works. Verify suits codes you want eSMS to generate and check, for example when the rider's app confirms the code. If your dispatch system already creates the code, send it through the SMS API as a transactional message. In both cases, never print the code on the parcel label.

Can e-commerce clients use their own brand on our delivery messages?

Yes, if they authorise it. Many Kenyan couriers send under their own sender ID and name the merchant in the text. A merchant-branded sender ID needs that merchant's letter of authorisation and registration on each network. eSMS Africa handles the registration once the letter is signed.

How do we know a delivery SMS actually reached the customer?

eSMS Africa returns a delivery report for every message by webhook and in the dashboard. Feed the status back into your dispatch system so riders know whether the customer was notified before they set off. Undelivered numbers often point to typing errors at checkout that you can fix.