Bulk SMS, WhatsApp and voice for Kenyan campaigns
VotePulse sends your campaign’s messages through SMS, WhatsApp, voice and social media from one place, targeted down to a single ward. Communications Authority of Kenya rules are enforced by the system, not left to memory.
Runs in: Campaign Manager Portal · See it alongside every module →
Campaign messaging without the risk
Political bulk SMS in Kenya is regulated. Messages must come from a registered sender ID, go out within permitted hours, reach only people who agreed to receive them, and stop when someone replies STOP. A campaign that gets this wrong risks complaints and a blocked sender ID in the middle of the campaign.
The other problem is control. When five people can send messages from five tools, the campaign speaks with five voices. One approval step and one audit trail keep the message consistent.
What Communications does
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Ward-targeted bulk SMS
Send to chosen wards, a county or a tag through Africa’s Talking, with sent and failed tracking for every message.
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CAK sending hours
Campaign SMS is only sent between 07:00 and 19:00 East Africa Time.
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Opt-in only
Marketing messages go only to contacts with a recorded opt-in.
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STOP, ONDOKA and ACHA
Opt-out replies in English and Swahili are processed automatically.
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Registered sender IDs
Sends from an unregistered sender ID are blocked.
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WhatsApp Business API
Approved template messages and direct messages to opted-in supporters.
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Voice broadcast
Pre-recorded voice messages for audiences who prefer calls to text.
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Facebook and Instagram
Connect your campaign’s Page and publish posts after approval.
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AI writer
Draft messages in English or Swahili, then edit and approve them before anything is sent.
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Approval queue
Drafts can be sent immediately, queued for review, or deleted if they should never go out.
How it works
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Pick the audience
Choose opted-in contacts by ward, county or tag.
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Write or draft
Write the message or let the AI writer draft it in English or Swahili.
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Approve
The message goes through your approval step. The cost is shown before sending.
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Send and track
VotePulse sends within the permitted hours and tracks what was sent and what failed.
What it does not do
We would rather you know the limits before you buy than discover them in the middle of a campaign.
- VotePulse will not send campaign SMS outside the permitted hours or to contacts without an opt-in.
- Social publishing covers Facebook and Instagram. Other networks are not supported.
- Delivery tracking shows sent and failed. It does not show whether a message was read.
Who uses it
- Communications directors
- One approved voice across every channel.
- Campaign managers
- Targeted messages to the wards that need them.
- Compliance leads
- CAK rules enforced by the system.
Software, or software with our team
Communications is included in VotePulse plans, priced by the office you are contesting — see plans and prices. If you would rather have our team set it up and run it with you, our communications infrastructure consultancy is quoted separately.
Frequently asked questions
Can a political campaign send bulk SMS in Kenya?
Yes, within the Communications Authority of Kenya’s rules: a registered sender ID, permitted sending hours, messages only to people who opted in, and an opt-out that works. VotePulse enforces these rules automatically.
What are the permitted hours for campaign SMS?
VotePulse sends campaign SMS only between 07:00 and 19:00 East Africa Time. A campaign send that falls outside those hours is held and retried until the window opens.
How much does bulk SMS cost?
SMS is charged per message on top of your plan, and the portal shows the cost of a send before you confirm it.
Can we send WhatsApp messages to supporters?
Yes, through the WhatsApp Business API, using approved templates and direct messages to supporters who opted in.
Related modules and guides
- Campaign CRM →A supporter and voter CRM built for Kenyan campaigns: contacts by county, constituency and ward, tags, supporter scores, consent and CSV import.
- AI Strategist →Daily briefings, speech and message drafts in English and Swahili, and ward recommendations — generated from your campaign’s own data, decided by your team.
- Command Center →One screen for the campaign manager: AI daily brief, readiness score, live field map, calendar, finance and alerts, down to every ward in your race.
- Volunteer management →Register volunteers in the field, assign them to wards and coordinators, see who is active and message them — from ward teams to a county network.
- CAK bulk SMS compliance →The rules VotePulse enforces, in detail.
- Senate campaigns →Reaching a whole county with voice and SMS.
VotePulse is an independent campaign technology and consultancy platform. It is not the IEBC and does not declare official election results.