UPS is stepping up its presence in Africa by expanding its strategic alliance with Kenyan partner Freight In Time (FIT).
The global logistics group is consolidating both express and freight forwarding services in the East African country through FIT, which is its authorised service contractor there. The move will simplify doing business with UPS for Kenyan customers by establishing a single point of contact for all UPS services.
UPS’s small package service portfolio was added as of February 15 to FIT’s current freight forwarding service contract with the international brand to enable growth for both companies and the region. The Nairobi-based company has been a UPS Authorized Service Contractor (ASC) since 2005 and serves customers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti and South Sudan.
FIT’s expansion of services and recent facility investments will strengthen ties with Kenyan customers and offer a unified UPS brand experience, providing innovative, reliable and high quality end-to-end logistics solutions with brokerage services, according to the company. Kenya is considered a hub for global trade and a catalyst for future growth, and the country is a strategic part of UPS’s international growth strategy.
Shamit Shah, CEO of FIT, said: “Kenya is key to the logistics industry. It has become the region’s logistics hub, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has played an important role in this development.”
FIT recently invested $9 million in its operations and has a 5,000 sqm warehousing facility with six offices in Kenya.
In addition, FIT has invested $0.5 million in a modern airside facility at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to handle and process shipments for express operations in Nairobi. The facility, which operates 24 hours, will support the small package courier service in Kenya. As the hub for the East Africa region, round-the-clock customs presence will help improve the turnaround time of customs clearance. Boosting quality control, an additional 46 staff members have been employed to help ensure customers in the region receive high quality service.
“FIT continues to invest in operations in East Africa, and we are committed to providing customers with international import and export services through the UPS global shipping network. Customers in Kenya can now benefit from our comprehensive solutions as well as the expertise and global network that UPS has to offer as a global logistics leader,” Shah added.
Jean-Francois Condamine, President of the Indian Subcontinent Middle East and Africa district for UPS, said: “The extension of our partnership with FIT, a strategic regional logistics provider in East African countries, clearly demonstrates our long-term commitment to our valued customers in Kenya. With 109 years of logistics heritage, UPS has the technology and expertise to support FIT to offer reliable bundled solutions to customers in Kenya.”
FIT began operations in Kenya in 1998 and provides customers with a range of services including air freight forwarding, road trucking, contract logistics and small package services.
Based in Nairobi, FIT has an extensive local footprint and is present in seven East African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan with its own offices in major airports, ports and border offices in the region.
