UoN Connect

Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information UoN Connect collects, why we use it, when it may be shared, and the choices available to you.

Effective and last updated: 16 August 2026

1. About UoN Connect

UoN Connect is a digital community platform offering account and profile features, campus-community tools, events and ticketing, marketplace services, messaging, maps, QR verification, payments, wallet records, and related support features. In this policy, “UoN Connect,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the operator of the UoN Connect app and website. UoN Connect is independently operated and is not an official University of Nairobi service unless expressly stated.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use UoN Connect, we may collect:

  • Account and profile information: name, username, email address, phone number, profile photo, student or registration number, faculty, course, year of study, and other details you choose to add.
  • Authentication information: account identifiers and sign-in information supplied through Firebase Authentication, email sign-in, or Google sign-in. We do not receive your Google password.
  • Community and communication content: posts, comments, reactions, chats, group activity, grievance or safety submissions, images, attachments, and other content you submit.
  • Event, ticket, and marketplace information: event registrations, ticket identifiers, QR pass data, attendance status, listings, orders, amounts, and transaction history.
  • Payment and wallet information: M-Pesa phone number, payment amount, transaction or checkout identifiers, receipt references, payment status, wallet balance and transaction records, earnings, and withdrawal requests. Your M-Pesa PIN is entered and handled by Safaricom/M-Pesa; UoN Connect does not receive or store it.
  • Camera, photos, and files: camera access for live QR scanning and photos or files you deliberately choose for QR scanning, profiles, listings, posts, tickets, or other uploads.
  • Technical information: browser or app type, device identifiers used for authentication and app operation, session and local-storage data, notification state, diagnostic information, and security logs.
  • Support information: messages and details you send when requesting help, reporting a problem, or asking us to exercise a privacy right.

3. Camera and location

Camera access is requested only when you launch the QR scanner or use another camera-enabled feature. A selected QR image is processed to decode its contents. UoN Connect provides campus map features, but the current app does not continuously track or collect your precise GPS location in the background.

4. How we use information

We use information to:

  • Create, authenticate, maintain, and secure accounts.
  • Provide profiles, community, marketplace, messaging, and map features.
  • Process payments, wallet activity, tickets, emails, and QR verification.
  • Respond to support, safety, grievance, and account-deletion requests.
  • Prevent fraud, duplicate ticket use, abuse, and unauthorized access.
  • Operate, troubleshoot, analyze, and improve UoN Connect.
  • Comply with applicable law and enforce our platform rules.

5. AI-assisted features

When you deliberately use an AI-assisted feature, the prompt or content you submit and relevant context may be sent to an AI service provider, including Google’s generative AI services, so that the requested answer can be produced. Do not submit secrets, passwords, M-Pesa PINs, or information you do not want processed by an AI provider.

6. When information is shared

We do not sell your personal information. We may share limited information with service providers only as needed to operate UoN Connect, including:

  • Google Firebase and related Google services for authentication, databases, storage, maps, and app functionality.
  • Our application-hosting provider for secure backend operation.
  • Safaricom/M-Pesa for payment initiation, confirmation, receipts, and permitted payout processing.
  • Email-delivery providers for tickets, receipts, security messages, and service communications.
  • AI service providers when you choose to use an AI-assisted feature.

Information you intentionally publish, such as a profile, marketplace listing, post, or comment, may be visible to the audience indicated in the app. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect users, investigate abuse, or defend legal rights.

7. Legal grounds

Where applicable, we process information to provide the service you request, with your consent, to meet legal obligations, and for legitimate interests such as security, fraud prevention, support, and service improvement. You may withdraw consent for optional processing through device permissions or by contacting us.

8. Data retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the service, maintain security and audit records, resolve disputes, and comply with legal, tax, financial, and regulatory duties. Retention periods vary by data type. Some transaction, moderation, ticket, and payment records may be retained after account deletion where required for fraud prevention, accounting, legal compliance, or the rights of other users. We delete or anonymize information when it is no longer required and it is reasonably possible to do so.

9. Account and data deletion

Registered users can find the account-deletion control in the MeHub account/settings area of the app. You may also request account and associated-data deletion by emailing impactbysam@gmail.com from the email address connected to your account, using the subject “Delete my UoN Connect account.” We may ask you to verify ownership before processing the request.

Deletion removes or anonymizes eligible account and profile information. Information that must be retained for payment records, fraud prevention, safety, disputes, or legal obligations may be kept for the required period.

10. Your choices and rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information; object to or restrict certain processing; or withdraw consent. You can also control camera, photo, file, and notification permissions in your device or browser settings. Some permissions are necessary for the feature that requested them.

11. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information, including authenticated access and provider security controls. No online service is completely secure, so users should protect their sign-in details and immediately report suspected unauthorized access.

12. Children

UoN Connect is designed primarily for university and broader community users and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly seek personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted such information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

13. International processing

Our service providers may process information in Kenya or other countries where they operate. Where required, we use reasonable safeguards for international processing and transfers.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as UoN Connect changes or legal requirements evolve. The updated version will be posted at this address with a revised effective date. Material changes may also be communicated through the app or another appropriate channel.

15. Contact us

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, email impactbysam@gmail.com.