Privacy Policy

How HouseHelp.co.ke collects, uses, shares and protects your personal data, in line with Kenya's Data Protection Act, 2019.

Last updated: 11 June 2026

1. Who we are

HouseHelp (“HouseHelp”, “we”, “us”) operates the website househelp.co.ke — an online platform that connects employers with house help (domestic workers) across Kenya. For the purposes of the Data Protection Act, 2019, we are the data controller of the personal data described in this policy.

For any privacy request or question, contact us by email at analyst.festus@gmail.com.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains the personal data we process when you use our website — whether you use HouseHelp as an employer, list yourself as a helper (job-seeker), or simply browse.

3. The personal data we collect

Information you give us:

• If you list yourself as a helper: your name, phone number, county and area, the type of work and skills you offer, languages, expected salary, age range, religion (only if you choose to share it), work experience, a profile photo, and any verification documents you upload (for example a National ID, Certificate of Good Conduct, a letter from your local Chief, or work references).
• If you use the platform as an employer: your name, phone number, the helpers you save or shortlist, and a record of the contacts you have unlocked.
• Payment information: when you buy contact bundles, payment is processed by M-Pesa through our payment partner. We receive a payment reference and status — we never see or store your M-Pesa PIN.

Information we collect automatically: device and browser information, IP address, the pages you view and actions you take, and similar usage data — collected through cookies and similar technologies (see “Cookies and tracking”).

Your phone number is your identity on HouseHelp. You sign in using a one-time code (OTP) sent to your phone, and one phone number is linked to one role — employer or helper.

4. How we use your data, and our legal basis

We use your personal data to:

• create and manage your account and verify your identity (legal basis: performance of a contract with you, and your consent);
• show helper profiles to employers and let employers contact helpers (consent, and performance of a contract);
• review verification documents and display verified badges (consent, and our legitimate interest in trust and safety);
• process payments for contact bundles (performance of a contract; legal obligation);
• keep the platform safe — preventing fraud, abuse and misuse (legitimate interest);
• understand and improve how the site is used, and measure and serve advertising (consent, and legitimate interest);
• comply with the law and respond to lawful requests (legal obligation).

5. Helper profiles are public — but phone numbers are not

This is important, so we set it out plainly:

• If you list yourself as a helper, your profile — your name, photo, area, skills, languages, expected salary and any verified badges — is publicly visible to anyone browsing HouseHelp, and may be indexed by search engines such as Google. This is the purpose of the platform: to help employers find and choose you.
• Your phone number is never shown on your public profile. It is released to an employer only when that employer chooses to unlock your contact (see below).
• If you would rather your profile not be public, do not list yourself — and you can ask us to remove your profile at any time (see “Your rights”).

6. How contact details are shared

• An employer obtains a helper's phone number only by unlocking that helper's contact — using one of their free contacts or a contact bundle bought by M-Pesa. At that point we release the helper's phone number to that employer so they can call or message the helper directly to interview and hire.
• By listing yourself as a helper, you consent to your phone number being shared with employers in this way — that is how employers reach you. By unlocking a contact, an employer agrees to use it only to contact that helper about work, and not to resell, publish or misuse it.
• We strongly advise all users to take normal precautions when contacting and meeting people arranged through the platform (see our Terms of Service).

7. Who we share your data with

We share personal data with:

• technology providers who host and run the platform on our behalf — in particular Google (Firebase) for our database, sign-in, file storage and analytics;
• our payment partner and M-Pesa, to process payments;
• advertising and analytics providers (Meta/Facebook and Google), to measure and serve ads (see “Cookies and tracking”);
• law enforcement, regulators or other authorities where we are required to by law, or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

We do not sell your personal data.

8. International transfers

Some of our service providers (for example Google/Firebase and Meta) store and process data on servers that may be located outside Kenya. Where personal data is transferred outside Kenya, we rely on the safeguards permitted under the Data Protection Act, 2019 — including the provider's own data-protection commitments — to keep your data protected to a comparable standard.

9. Cookies and tracking

We use:

• essential cookies needed to sign you in and keep the site working;
• analytics and advertising technologies — the Meta Pixel and the Google Ads tag — which use cookies to measure how our ads perform and to show our ads to people who have visited the site.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings, and opt out of personalised advertising through your Google and Facebook account settings. Blocking essential cookies may stop you from signing in.

10. How long we keep your data

We keep your personal data for as long as your account is active and you use HouseHelp. If you ask us to delete your account, we will remove your public profile and personal data — except where we need to keep limited information to meet legal obligations, resolve disputes, or prevent fraud and abuse.

11. How we protect your data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including access controls on our database and a design in which helper phone numbers are never exposed in bulk and are released only through a controlled unlock. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to detect and respond to incidents. If a data breach occurs that is likely to put your rights at risk, we will notify the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and affected users as required by law.

12. Your rights

Under the Data Protection Act, 2019 you have the right to:

• be informed about how your data is used (this policy);
• access the personal data we hold about you;
• have inaccurate data corrected;
• have your data deleted (the “right to be forgotten”);
• object to, or ask us to restrict, certain processing;
• withdraw consent at any time (for example, by removing your listing);
• ask for a copy of your data in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us by email at analyst.festus@gmail.com. We will respond within the timelines required by law.

13. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), Kenya — www.odpc.go.ke. We'd appreciate the chance to resolve your concern first.

14. Children

HouseHelp is intended for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to use the platform, whether as an employer or a helper. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated version here and change the “last updated” date above. Significant changes will be highlighted where appropriate.

16. Contact us

For any questions about this policy or your personal data, contact us by email at analyst.festus@gmail.com.