Terms of Use

Version 1.0
Effective Date: 3^rd August 2026
Last Reviewed: 3^rd August 2026
Next Review Date: 3^rd October 2026

Welcome to Vote Smart KE.

These Terms of Use govern access to and use of the Vote Smart KE website, candidate directory, candidate comparison tool, voter-education resources, and related digital services.

By accessing or using Vote Smart KE, you agree to comply with these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with these terms, you should not use the platform.

Vote Smart KE may update these Terms of Use as the platform develops. Continued use of the platform after an updated version is published may constitute acceptance of the revised terms, subject to applicable law.

Vote Smart KE is an independent civic-information and voter-education initiative that seeks to help Kenyan citizens access clear, structured, and responsibly presented information about:

• Electoral candidates
• Public leadership
• Candidate backgrounds
• Leadership experience
• Candidate vision
• Key priorities
• Proposed approaches to public issues
• Electoral and civic participation
• Constituency and county profiles

Vote Smart KE aims to support informed decision-making. The platform does not tell citizens whom to vote for.

Publication of a candidate profile does not mean that Vote Smart KE:

• Endorses the candidate
• Recommends the candidate
• Supports the candidate’s political party
• Guarantees the accuracy of every candidate statement
• Confirms that the candidate will fulfil stated commitments

For purposes of these Terms:

“Vote Smart KE,” “we,” “us” or “our” means the organisation, initiative or entity responsible for operating the Vote Smart KE platform.

“Website” means the Vote Smart KE website and related digital pages or services.

“User,” “you” or “your” means any person or organisation accessing or using the platform.

“Candidate” means a person who has submitted information to Vote Smart KE, has a profile on the platform or is otherwise included in the candidate-information system.

“Candidate representative” means a person authorised to submit information or communicate on behalf of a candidate.

“Content” means text, images, graphics, data, profiles, articles, guides, tools, documents, software and other material available through Vote Smart KE.

“Candidate profile” means a page or structured record containing information about a candidate.

“Comparison tool” means the Vote Smart KE feature that displays selected candidate information side by side.

You may use Vote Smart KE only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with these Terms.

You agree not to use the platform to:

• Break applicable laws or regulations
• Misrepresent your identity
• Impersonate a candidate or authorised representative
• Submit false or misleading information
• Interfere with website security
• Attempt unauthorised access
• Introduce malicious software
• Disrupt or overload the website
• Collect personal information without a lawful basis
• Harass, threaten or abuse another person
• Publish defamatory or unlawful content
• Manipulate candidate information
• Misrepresent Vote Smart KE as supporting a candidate or political party

Vote Smart KE may restrict or suspend access where reasonably necessary to protect the platform, users or the integrity of its services.

The candidate directory is intended to help users discover and review candidate information.

Candidate profiles may include:

• Candidate name
• Profile photograph
• Electoral position
• Electoral area
• Political affiliation
• Academic qualifications
• Professional background
• Leadership experience
• Candidate vision
• Key priorities
• Proposed approaches
• Official public links

The information available for each candidate may differ because:

• Candidates provide different levels of information
• Some information is unavailable
• Some information is under review
• Public sources differ
• Candidate profiles are updated at different times

The absence of information does not necessarily indicate that a candidate lacks the relevant qualification, experience or position.

The candidate comparison tool allows users to view selected information side by side.

The tool is intended to support independent evaluation. It does not:

• Rank candidates
• Score candidates
• Recommend candidates
• Predict election outcomes
• Determine which candidate is more qualified
• Provide voting advice

The information displayed may be based on:

• Candidate submissions
• Editorial summaries
• Publicly available information
• Information reviewed through Vote Smart KE processes

Users should consider multiple sources and apply their own judgment.

Vote Smart KE is nonpartisan.

The appearance of a candidate on the platform does not mean that Vote Smart KE:

• Supports the candidate
• Opposes the candidate’s opponents
• Recommends the candidate
• Has verified every campaign claim
• Has formed a political opinion about the candidate

The order in which candidates appear may be based on:

• Alphabetical order
• Search results
• User-selected filters
• Website functionality
• Other neutral technical or editorial criteria

Display order should not be interpreted as a ranking or endorsement.

Vote Smart KE seeks to provide useful, accurate, and responsibly presented information.

However, we do not guarantee that:

• Every profile is complete
• Every item is current
• Every candidate statement is independently verified
• Every public source is accurate
• Candidate information will remain unchanged
• Candidate proposals are feasible
• Candidates will fulfill their commitments
• The platform will always be available without interruption

Information may change after publication.

Users should verify important information through official sources and exercise independent judgment before making decisions.

Candidates and authorised representatives are responsible for ensuring that information submitted to Vote Smart KE is accurate and not misleading to the best of their knowledge.

By submitting information, a candidate or authorised representative confirms that:

• The information is submitted in good faith
• The information is reasonably accurate
• The person submitting it has authority to do so
• The information does not knowingly infringe another person’s rights
• Vote Smart KE may review the information
• Vote Smart KE may request clarification
• Vote Smart KE may edit information for clarity, grammar, consistency and format
• Vote Smart KE may decline or delay publication
• Approved public information may be published

Submission does not guarantee publication.

Vote Smart KE maintains editorial independence.

Candidates, political parties, donors, advertisers, partners and other stakeholders may not control:

• Candidate verification decisions
• Editorial wording
• Candidate rankings
• Publication decisions
• Corrections
• The removal of accurate information
• The presentation of factual information

Vote Smart KE does not sell:

• Political endorsements
• Favourable candidate profiles
• Preferential editorial treatment
• Candidate rankings
• Editorial influence

Any future sponsored or paid content should be clearly identified and separated from independent editorial content.

Candidate profiles may be published after review under the Candidate Verification & Publication Policy and Editorial Policy.

Vote Smart KE may:

• Request additional information
• Edit content for clarity
• Use standard profile categories
• Add relevant factual context
• Mark information as unavailable or not provided
• Delay publication
• Decline publication
• Update a profile
• Temporarily unpublish a profile
• Archive or remove a profile

Publication decisions may consider:

• Accuracy
• Completeness
• Public relevance
• Verification needs
• Editorial standards
• Privacy
• Security
• Applicable law

Vote Smart KE welcomes good-faith requests to correct factual errors.

A correction request should include:

• The relevant page or profile
• The information believed to be inaccurate
• The proposed correction
• Supporting information where available
• Contact details

Vote Smart KE may:

• Correct the information
• Add context
• Request clarification
• Decline the request where the information remains accurate
• Temporarily remove information while a significant concern is reviewed

A request does not guarantee that the requested change will be made.

Unless otherwise stated, Vote Smart KE owns or has permission to use the platform’s:

• Website design
• Branding
• Logos
• Original articles
• Editorial content
• Graphics
• Data organisation
• Candidate-profile structure
• Comparison-tool design
• Software and technical features

Users may:

• View content
• Share links
• Quote limited portions with appropriate attribution
• Use information for personal, educational, research, or non-commercial purposes, subject to applicable law

Users may not, without permission:

• Copy the entire website
• Reproduce substantial portions of content
• Republish Vote Smart KE content as their own
• Remove branding or attribution
• Sell Vote Smart KE content
• Create a misleading imitation of the platform
• Use automated systems to extract substantial amounts of data in a way that harms the platform

This section does not limit lawful rights under applicable copyright or other laws.

Candidates and representatives must have the necessary rights or permission to submit photographs, logos, documents, or other materials.

By submitting materials, the person submitting them confirms that they have authority to allow Vote Smart KE to:

• Review the materials
• Store them
• Edit them for technical display
• Publish approved materials
• Display them in candidate profiles and comparison tools
• Use them in reasonable platform-related communications

Vote Smart KE may reject or remove materials that:

• Infringe intellectual-property rights
• Misrepresent identity
• Contain unlawful or harmful content
• Are misleading
• Are unsuitable for public publication

Users must not:

• Post or submit false information
• Use the platform to spread disinformation
• Attempt to manipulate candidate profiles
• Submit fabricated documents
• Harass candidates or other users
• Use abusive or discriminatory language
• Make threats
• Upload malicious files
• Circumvent website security
• Scrape the website in a harmful or excessive manner
• Use automated tools in a way that damages performance
• Use Vote Smart KE content to create deceptive political advertising

Vote Smart KE may investigate suspected misuse and take reasonable action, including restricting access.

Vote Smart KE may link to:

• Candidate websites
• Political-party websites
• Government websites
• Public institutions
• Social-media platforms
• External resources

External links are provided for convenience or information.

Vote Smart KE does not necessarily:

• Endorse external websites
• Control external content
• Confirm the accuracy of external information
• Accept responsibility for third-party privacy practices

Users access third-party websites at their own discretion.

Vote Smart KE will seek to maintain a reliable and accessible platform.

However, the website may occasionally be unavailable because of:

• Maintenance
• Technical problems
• Hosting issues
• Security updates
• Internet-service interruptions
• Third-party service failures
• Events beyond our reasonable control

Vote Smart KE does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free access.

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue a feature where reasonably necessary.

Vote Smart KE provides information for general civic, educational and public-interest purposes.

The platform does not provide:

• Legal advice
• Financial advice
• Political campaign advice
• A guarantee regarding candidate suitability
• A prediction of election results
• A recommendation on how a user should vote

Users are responsible for their own decisions and should consider information from multiple sources.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Vote Smart KE will not be responsible for losses arising solely from:

• Reliance on incomplete or outdated information
• Candidate statements
• Changes in candidate information after publication
• Decisions made by users
• Third-party websites
• Website interruptions
• Technical failures outside reasonable control

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude liability where exclusion is not permitted by applicable law.

Use of Vote Smart KE is also governed by the Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains how personal information may be collected, used, stored, protected and shared.

Candidates and users should review the Privacy Policy before submitting personal information.

Vote Smart KE may suspend, restrict or terminate access where reasonably necessary to:

• Protect website security
• Prevent misuse
• Enforce these Terms
• Protect users
• Comply with applicable law
• Maintain platform integrity

Where appropriate, Vote Smart KE may provide notice or an explanation.

Vote Smart KE may update these Terms to reflect:

• New platform features
• Changes in operations
• Changes in law
• New partnerships
• Security requirements
• Improvements to governance

The updated Terms will include a revised version number and effective date.

Users should review the Terms periodically.

These Terms are intended to operate in accordance with the laws of Kenya.

Any dispute relating to Vote Smart KE should first be addressed through good-faith communication and reasonable efforts to resolve the matter.

Nothing in this section limits rights or remedies available under applicable law.

For questions about these Terms, contact:

Vote Smart KE
Website: Vote Smart KE
Email: contact@votesmartke.org
Subject line: Terms of Use Enquiry

These Terms of Use are an operational draft prepared for Vote Smart KE.

They are not legal advice and should be reviewed by a qualified Kenyan legal professional when resources become available, particularly before major public launch, large-scale candidate onboarding, formal fundraising or commercial partnerships.

Acceptance

By using Vote Smart KE, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms of Use and agree to comply with them.

Approval

Prepared & Approved by:

Name: Kennedy Isiaho

Role: Founder, Vote Smart KE

Date: 3^rd August 2026

Vote Smart KE — Know Your Leaders. Make an Informed Choice.