CAK Compliance

1. Regulatory framework

Political campaigns in Kenya must use CAK-registered sender IDs and CAK-licensed aggregators for bulk SMS. VotePulse routes all SMS traffic through Africa's Talking, a licensed aggregator, and enforces opt-in, opt-out, and sending-hour rules in application code.

2. Sender ID registration

• Each tenant campaign must register an alphanumeric sender ID via Africa's Talking and CAK before production messaging.
• VotePulse supports tenant-specific sender IDs once approved by CAK.
• Unregistered sender IDs are blocked at dispatch time.
• We advise registering sender IDs at least 8 weeks before high-volume campaign periods.

3. SMS sending hours

Marketing SMS may only be sent between 07:00 and 19:00 East Africa Time (EAT). VotePulse enforces this in the dispatch worker via is_sms_sending_allowed(). Messages queued outside permitted hours are automatically deferred to the next valid window.

• Transactional messages (e.g. agent PIN reset) may be exempt where permitted by CAK guidance.
• Campaign managers receive a CAK hours warning during campaign review before dispatch.

4. Opt-in requirements

• Contacts must have opted_in = TRUE in the CRM before any marketing message is sent.
• Supported opt-in keywords include VOTE and JOIN (configurable per tenant).
• Imported contact lists must include documented consent evidence.
• VotePulse blocks dispatch to contacts without a valid opt-in record.

5. Opt-out mechanisms

• STOP, ONDOKA, and ACHA keywords are processed immediately on inbound SMS.
• Opted-out contacts are excluded from all future marketing dispatches.
• Opt-out events are logged in the audit trail with timestamp and channel.
• Campaign managers can view opt-out rates in the dashboard.

6. Message content standards

• No hate speech, incitement to violence, or content prohibited under Kenyan law.
• AI Message Generator includes compliance notes flagging sensitive phrasing.
• WhatsApp templates require Meta/360dialog approval before broadcast.
• Voice broadcasts must identify the calling campaign as required by CAK.

7. Licensed aggregator

All SMS and voice traffic is routed through Africa's Talking, a CAK-licensed telecommunications aggregator. VotePulse does not operate direct SS7 connections. Delivery receipts and failure codes are stored for compliance audits.

8. Audit and reporting

• Full dispatch logs: recipient, sender ID, timestamp, delivery status.
• Opt-in and opt-out event history per contact.
• CAK hours deferral logs for deferred batches.
• Audit reports available to tenants on request for regulatory inquiries.

9. Compliance contact

For CAK compliance questions or to report a concern: compliance@votepulse.co.ke. For urgent sender ID or delivery issues: support@votepulse.co.ke or +254 700 123 456.