PRIVACY POLICY
Last Updated: September 24, 2025
Visit Kenya exists to help build connections between people and showcase the beauty and hospitality of Kenya. We are a community built on trust. A fundamental part of earning that trust means being clear about how we use your information and protecting your right to privacy.
This Privacy Policy describes how Visit Kenya, incorporated under the laws of Kenya ("we," "us," or "Visit Kenya"), processes personal information in relation to your use of the Visit Kenya Platform. This includes our website visitkenya.digital/, mobile applications, and related services.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WHO CONTROLS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
Visit Kenya, a company incorporated under the laws of Kenya with its registered office at [Address to be inserted], Nairobi, Kenya, is the data controller responsible for your personal information under this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy also applies to the Payment Services provided to you by Visit Kenya pursuant to the Payments Terms of Service. When using the Payment Services, you will also be providing your personal information to Visit Kenya, which will be responsible for your information related to the Payment Services.
2. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We collect personal information about you when you use the Visit Kenya Platform. Without it, we may not be able to provide all services requested. This information includes:
2.1 Information You Give Us
Account and Profile Information
First name, last name, phone number, postal address, email address, date of birth, and profile photo
Information depending on the features you use
Identity Verification Information
Where appropriate and in accordance with Kenyan law, we may ask you for an image of your government-issued ID document(s), passport, national ID card, KRA PIN, or driving license
Other verification information, such as your date of birth, address, email address, phone number, or digital identity
A selfie when we verify your ID
Payment Information
Payment account, credit card information, bank account information, mobile money details (M-Pesa, etc.)
Payment instrument used, date and time, payment amount, payment instrument expiration date and billing details
IBAN information, your address, and other related transaction details
Insurance Information
At the time you express interest in purchasing travel insurance or other protection services, we require certain information such as your name, accommodation address, residential address, date of birth, age, email address, contact number, trip start/end date, trip cost, transaction currency, and booking number
2.2 Information You Choose to Give Us
Additional Profile Information
Gender, preferred language(s), city, personal description, and any additional profile information you provide
Information About Others
Payment instrument or contact information belonging to another person or information about a co-traveler
By providing us with personal information about others, you certify that you have permission to provide that information to Visit Kenya for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy
Biometric Information
Where offered and with your consent where required by applicable Kenyan law, facial recognition data derived from photos and identification documents you submit for verification
Communications
Email, call, message, SMS, and text information where delivery is enabled on or through the Visit Kenya Platform
Communication information may include call recordings and transcripts consistent with Kenyan law requirements
Other log information like your phone number, calling-party number, receiving-party number, account name, email address, forwarding numbers, time and date of communications, duration of communication, routing information, and the types and volumes of communications
Other Information
Any photos, videos, and other content you choose to provide
Information when you fill in a form, add information to your account, respond to surveys, participate in research, post to community forums, participate in promotions
Import or manually enter address book contacts, provide your address and/or geolocation, provide business information, or share your experience with us
Health information if you choose to share it with us
2.3 Information We Automatically Collect
Location Information
Precise or approximate location determined from your IP address, mobile or other device’s GPS, or other information you share with us, depending on your device settings
We may also collect this information when you’re not using the app if you enable this through your settings or device permissions
Usage Information
Searches for listings, bookings you have made, additional services you have added, access dates and times
Pages you’ve viewed or engaged with before or after using the Visit Kenya Platform, and other actions on the Visit Kenya Platform
Pages or content you view and links you click to third-party applications
We may collect this information even if you haven’t created a Visit Kenya account or logged in
Device and Connection Information
IP address, hardware and software information, device information, device event information, unique identifiers, crash data, and read receipts
We may collect this information even if you haven’t created a Visit Kenya account or logged in
2.4 Information We Collect from Third Parties
Third-Party Services
If you choose to link, connect, or login to the Visit Kenya Platform with a third-party service, such as Google, Facebook, and others, you direct the service to send us information such as your registration, friends list, and profile information
If you choose to connect a smart device to your Visit Kenya account, we may collect information about the smart device, such as log or event information and device information
Background Information
To the extent permitted by Kenyan laws, we may obtain reports of criminal records and other information about you and/or your background
We may use your information, including your full name and date of birth, to obtain such reports
Enterprise and Referral Information
Organizations that use our enterprise products may submit personal information to facilitate account management
If you are invited to the Visit Kenya Platform, the person who invited you can submit personal information about you
Complaint Information
If a Host, Guest, or any third party submits a complaint about you, we may receive information relating to the specific complaint
Financial Institution Information
If you elect to pay with funds from your bank account or mobile money, we may receive certain information from your financial institution or mobile money provider
Third-Party Data
To the extent permitted by Kenyan law, we may receive additional information about you from third-party service providers, other third parties, and/or partners, or from Members and any other individuals, entities, and authorities
This may include background check results, fraud warnings, demographic data, and information to help detect fraud and safety issues
3. HOW WE USE THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We use personal information as outlined in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with Kenyan data protection laws.
3.1 Provide, Improve, and Develop the Visit Kenya Platform
We may process your information to:
Enable you to access and use the Visit Kenya Platform
Enable you to communicate with other Members
Process bookings and other transactions, send booking confirmations, and provide customer service
Operate, protect, improve, and optimize the Visit Kenya Platform and experience, such as by performing analytics and conducting research
Provide, personalize, measure, and improve our advertising and marketing
Send you service or support messages, updates, security alerts, and account notifications
To provide payment services, analyze and improve payment processing
Process your payment information including authenticating payment methods, and verifying bank account information
3.2 Create and Maintain a Trusted Environment
We may process your information to:
Detect and prevent fraud, spam, abuse, security and safety incidents, and other harmful activity
Study and combat discrimination consistent with our policies
Conduct security investigations and risk assessments
Verify or authenticate information provided by you, including during account creation and booking processes
Conduct checks against databases and other information sources, including law enforcement databases
Comply with our legal obligations under Kenyan law
Resolve any disputes with any of our Members and enforce our agreements with third parties
Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies
3.3 Provide, Personalize, Measure, and Improve our Advertising and Marketing
We may process your information to:
Send you promotional messages, marketing, advertising, and other information based on your preferences and social media advertising through social media platforms
Personalize, measure, and improve our advertising
Administer referral programs, rewards, surveys, contests, or other promotional activities or events sponsored or managed by Visit Kenya or its third-party partners
Analyze characteristics and preferences to send you promotional messages, marketing, advertising and other information we think might be of interest to you
Invite you to events and relevant opportunities
3.4 Provide Customer Service
We may process your information to:
Provide customer service and support
Train our customer service staff
Respond to questions, suggestions, or complaints
Analyze and improve our customer service
3.5 Automated Processing
In certain cases, automated processes, which analyze your account and activities on the Visit Kenya platform as well as information in relation to activities on and off the Visit Kenya platform that can be associated with you, could restrict or suspend your access to the Visit Kenya Platform if such processes detect activity that may pose a safety or other risk to Visit Kenya, our community, or third parties.
If you would like to challenge decisions based on automated processes, please contact us via the Contact Information section.
3.6 Analyze and Share Your Communications
We may review, scan, or analyze your communications on or enabled through the Visit Kenya Platform for purposes disclosed in this Privacy Policy, including safety, support, product enhancement, and compliance with our policies.
For example, as part of our fraud prevention efforts, we scan and analyze messages to mask contact information and references to other sites. Subject to Kenyan law, we scan and analyze all images uploaded by users to the Visit Kenya platform in message threads, profiles, listings, and experiences for certain illegal or inappropriate activities.
We use automated methods where reasonably possible. Occasionally we may need to manually review communications, such as for investigations or customer support.
We will not sell reviews or analyses of these communications.
3.7 Payment Services
Personal information is used to enable, or authorize third parties to use, Payment Services, such as to:
Process payments and send you transaction receipts
Authenticate your payment methods and bank account information
Detect and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized payments or other illegal activities
Conduct risk assessments and comply with legal obligations including anti-money laundering requirements under Kenyan law
Enforce the Payments Terms and other payment policies
4. SHARING AND DISCLOSURE
4.1 Sharing with Your Consent
Where you provide consent, we share your information as described at the time of consent, such as when:
Authorizing a third-party application or website to access your Visit Kenya account
Processing an insurance claim
Applying for flexible payment and financing products
Participating in promotional activities by Visit Kenya partners or third parties
4.2 Sharing Between Members
To help facilitate bookings, connections, or other interactions between Members, we may share information in certain situations:
When you make or accept a booking request, certain information is shared between Guest and Host as necessary to complete the transaction
Reviews and ratings you provide or receive may be visible to other Members
Information in your public profile may be visible to other Members and the general public
4.3 Host Service Providers
Hosts may use third-party services to help manage or deliver their services, such as cleaning services or property management companies. Hosts may use features on the Visit Kenya Platform to share information about the Guest with such third-party service providers.
4.4 Enterprise and Work Bookings
If a booking is designated as being for a business or work purpose and is made by a Guest affiliated with an Enterprise, we may disclose information related to the booking to the Enterprise to the extent necessary for the adequate performance of Visit Kenya’s contract with the Enterprise.
4.5 Service Providers
We share personal information with service providers to help us run our business, including those that help us:
Verify your identity or authenticate your identification documents
Check information against public databases
Conduct background checks, fraud prevention, security investigations, and risk assessments
Perform product development, maintenance, and debugging
Allow the provision of the Visit Kenya Services through third-party platforms and software tools
Provide customer service, advertising, or payments services
Process, handle, or assess insurance claims or similar claims
Review, scan, and analyze communications on the Visit Kenya Platform
These providers are contractually bound to protect your personal information and have access to your personal information only to perform these tasks.
4.6 Business Transfers
If Visit Kenya undertakes or is involved in any merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or insolvency event, then we may sell, transfer, or share some or all of our assets, including your information in connection with such transaction. In this event, we will notify you before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
4.7 Legal Requirements and Safety
We may share your information in order to:
Comply with applicable Kenyan laws and regulations
Comply with legal requests from Kenyan authorities
Protect the safety of our Members and the public
Prevent fraud and illegal activities
Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies
Protect our rights and property
4.8 Tax and Regulatory Authorities
Where legally required under Kenyan law, we may disclose Hosts’ and/or Guests’ information to relevant tax authorities including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) or other governmental agencies for the purpose of tax compliance determination.
In jurisdictions where Visit Kenya facilitates or requires a registration, notification, permit, or license application of a Host with a governmental authority, we may share information of participating Hosts with the relevant authority.
5. THIRD-PARTY PARTNERS AND INTEGRATIONS
5.1 Third-Party Account Linking
You can link your Visit Kenya account with certain third-party services. When you direct the data sharing by creating this link, we may share your information with the third-party service and receive information from them.
5.2 Third-Party Services
Parts of Visit Kenya may link to third-party services. Visit Kenya does not own or control these third parties. When you interact with these third parties and choose to use their service, you are providing your information to them. Your use of these services is subject to their privacy policies.
6. YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES
6.1 Data Access and Portability
You can access and update some of your personal information through your Account settings. You are responsible for keeping your personal information up to date. You may also request a copy of your personal information in a commonly used electronic format.
6.2 Data Correction and Deletion
You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information and, in certain circumstances, the deletion of your personal information. We may retain certain information as required or permitted by Kenyan law.
6.3 Marketing Communications
You can opt out of receiving promotional communications from us by using the unsubscribe link in those communications or by updating your account settings.
6.4 Location Information
You can prevent the Visit Kenya Platform from accessing your location by changing your device settings. However, this may affect your ability to use certain features of our service.
6.5 Exercising Your Rights
To exercise your rights or if you have questions about your personal information, please contact us using the information in the Contact Information section below.
7. DATA RETENTION
We retain personal information for as long as needed or as permitted in light of the purpose(s) for which it was obtained and consistent with Kenyan law. The criteria used to determine our retention periods include:
The length of time we have an ongoing relationship with you and provide services to you
Whether there is a legal obligation to which we are subject under Kenyan law
Whether retention is advisable in light of our legal position
Information you have shared with other Members, such as Reviews and forum postings, may continue to be publicly visible on Visit Kenya, even after your Visit Kenya Account is canceled.
Because we take measures to protect data from accidental or malicious loss and destruction, residual copies of your personal information may not be removed from our backup systems for a limited period of time.
8. SECURITY
While no organization can guarantee perfect security, we are continuously implementing and updating administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your information against unlawful or unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include:
Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls and authentication measures
Training for our personnel on data protection
Monitoring for security threats and incidents
9. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS
As Visit Kenya operates from Kenya, your personal information may be processed in Kenya. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place when transferring personal information internationally, in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
10. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time in accordance with applicable Kenyan law. If we do so, we will post the revised Privacy Policy and update the “Last Updated” date at the top. In case of material changes, we will also provide you with notice of the modification by email at least thirty (30) days before the effective date.
If you disagree with the revised Privacy Policy, you can cancel your Account. If you do not cancel your Account before the date the revised Privacy Policy becomes effective, your continued access to or use of the Visit Kenya Platform will be subject to the revised Privacy Policy.
11. CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy or Visit Kenya’s handling of personal information, you may contact us at:
Visit Kenya
Data Protection Officer
Email: privacy@visitkenya.digital
Address: [Address to be inserted], Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: [Phone number to be inserted]
Postal Address:
Visit Kenya
Attention: Data Protection Officer
[Address to be inserted]
Nairobi, Kenya
SCHEDULE: CONTROLLER INFORMATION
YOUR ACTIVITY ON THE VISIT KENYA PLATFORM | YOUR CONTROLLER | CONTACT ADDRESS |
|---|---|---|
All activities including bookings, hosting, and payment services | Visit Kenya | [Address to be inserted], Nairobi, Kenya |
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Kenyan Data Protection Act Compliance
This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with the Data Protection Act, 2019 of Kenya and related regulations. Under Kenyan law, you have specific rights regarding your personal data, including:
Right of Access: The right to know whether we process your personal data and to access such data
Right to Rectification: The right to have inaccurate personal data corrected
Right to Erasure: The right to have your personal data deleted in certain circumstances
Right to Data Portability: The right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to Object: The right to object to processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
Data Protection Authority
If you have concerns about our handling of your personal data that we have not been able to resolve, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya:
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
Address: Kenya National Commission on Human Rights
CVS Building, Upper Hill, Nairobi, Kenya
Email: info@odpc.go.ke
Website: https://www.odpc.go.ke
This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date last updated above and governs your use of the Visit Kenya Platform and our processing of your personal information.