Safety & Trust

Roho is built on one principle: everyone who appears on this platform — woman or man — has personally consented to be here. Here is exactly how we protect every side.

Roho Trust Score
97%
Based on verification rate, report resolution & consent compliance
100% Consent-Signed Profiles
Human Admin Review
Safaricom OTP Verified
Photos Blurred by Default
AES-256 Data Encryption
Kenya Data Protection Act 2019

Our Six Safety Pillars

Every pillar is active on every profile, every day — not optional add-ons.

Signed Consent on Every Profile

Before any profile goes live — woman or man — the person listed must digitally sign Roho's consent form — confirming they are willingly listing themselves, understand how their photos and information will be used, and can withdraw at any time. No consent form, no profile. This is non-negotiable.

Digital signature required Stored & timestamped Revocable at any time

Manual Admin Verification

Every profile submitted — by women, men, and browsing members alike — is reviewed by a human admin before it is approved. We do not use automated publishing. Admins check for authenticity, appropriate content and consistency with the consent form before flipping the live switch.

Human review, not bots Content consistency check Usually within 12 hours

Safaricom Number Verification

Every account — whether listing or browsing, woman or man — must register with an active Safaricom number. We send an OTP to verify ownership. This creates a real identity link between every account and a registered Kenyan SIM, significantly reducing fake profiles.

OTP verification on signup Kenyan SIM required One account per number

Photo Privacy by Default

All portrait photos are blurred and hidden from guests and unverified accounts, in both catalogs. Only members with an active M-Pesa access window for that catalog can view photos. This prevents screenshots and mass-harvesting of listed members' images by people with no genuine intent to connect.

Blurred for all guests Access window required Right-click protection

Community Reporting System

Every profile has a visible Report button. Reports go directly to our moderation team. Profiles with active reports are automatically flagged for priority review. Accounts found to have harassed, deceived or endangered anyone are permanently banned and reported to relevant authorities.

Report on every profile 24hr review SLA Permanent bans enforced

Data Security & Privacy

All data is encrypted at rest and in transit using AES-256 and TLS 1.3. We never sell user data to third parties. M-Pesa PIN and payment details are never stored by Roho — all payment processing is handled end-to-end by Safaricom Daraja. Your phone number is never shown publicly.

AES-256 encryption TLS 1.3 in transit No data sold, ever

How Every Profile Gets Verified

A step-by-step look at what happens before any profile — woman's or man's — goes live on Roho.

Listing member registers & fills profile Step 1

They create an account with their email and Safaricom number, select whether they are listing as a woman or a man, fill in their profile details — county, age, build, interests, bio — and upload their primary portrait plus any additional photos.

Note: OTP is sent to their Safaricom number to verify ownership. No OTP, no account.

Consent form presented & signed Step 2

Before submitting, they are shown Roho's full consent form — written in clear, plain English and Swahili. They must read and digitally sign it. The form covers: how their data is used, who can see their profile, photo privacy, their right to withdraw at any time, and reporting mechanisms. This applies identically whether they are listing as a woman or a man.

Note: Consent is timestamped, IP-logged and stored securely. It can be requested at any time by the account holder or relevant authority.

Profile enters admin review queue Step 3

Their profile is placed in a pending queue. It is not visible to anyone — not even as a blurred preview — until admin approval. They receive a notification confirming receipt.

Note: Average review time: 6–12 hours. Weekends and public holidays may extend to 24 hours.

Admin reviews content & authenticity Step 4

A human admin checks: photos are genuine and appropriate, bio is consistent with consent form, no offensive or misleading content, phone number is verified, and the account shows no signs of duplication or impersonation. The same checklist applies to women's and men's listings.

Note: Admins are trained to spot AI-generated images, stock photos, and copied bios. Suspicious profiles are held for further review, not published.

Profile approved & goes live Step 5

On approval, the profile becomes visible in the relevant browse directory (women's or men's catalog) — initially as a blurred preview to guests. A "Verified" badge is applied. The listing member receives a notification that their profile is live.

Note: Rejected profiles receive a reason and guidance on how to resubmit. Rejection is not permanent.

Ongoing monitoring & re-review Ongoing

Profiles don't just get verified once. Community reports, periodic re-reviews and behavioural signals (e.g. unusual messaging patterns, multiple complaints) can trigger a re-review at any time, for any listed profile. Listing members are also notified when their profile receives reports.

Note: Profiles with 3+ unresolved reports are automatically suspended pending review.

Specifically For Listed Profiles — Women & Men

Your safety is the foundation this platform is built on, whether you're listed as a woman or a man. Here is every protection we have put in place for you.

Your photos are blurred by default

Guests and unverified visitors cannot see your face. Only members who have paid a verified M-Pesa access window for your catalog can view your photos. This filters out those with no genuine intent.

Your phone number is never shown

Your Safaricom number is used for verification only. It is never displayed publicly, never shared with other members, and never visible in your profile at any access level.

Block anyone, instantly

One tap blocks someone from seeing your profile or contacting you. They are not notified. The block is permanent until you lift it. You owe no one an explanation.

Hide your profile at any time

Pause your listing at any point — no questions asked. Your profile becomes invisible to everyone browsing that catalog while hidden. You can reactivate in one tap from your dashboard.

Report & we act within 24 hours

Every message thread and every profile has a visible Report button. Reports go directly to our moderation team with a 24-hour review SLA. Confirmed violators are permanently banned.

Delete everything, permanently

Deleting your account permanently removes your profile, photos, bio and message history within 24 hours. No archives, no shadow profiles. Your data is gone.

For Browsing Members

What you can expect from Roho when you're unlocking a catalog — and what we expect from you. Applies equally whether you're browsing women's or men's profiles.

1

Every profile you see is real

No profile goes live without human admin review, Safaricom OTP verification and a signed consent form. The profiles you browse — women's or men's — are genuine, voluntary listings — not bots, not scraped photos, not fake accounts.

2

Your M-Pesa payment is your commitment

Paying via M-Pesa links your access to your verified Safaricom number. This creates real accountability and significantly reduces fake or malicious browsing accounts. One account per Safaricom number, enforced.

3

Your PIN is never seen by us

M-Pesa STK Push means your PIN is entered on Safaricom's own secure screen — never on Roho's interface. We receive only a transaction confirmation. Your banking credentials are completely private.

4

Harassment = permanent ban

Sending inappropriate messages, threats, unsolicited explicit content or financial solicitations results in an immediate permanent ban. Your Safaricom number is also blocklisted, preventing re-registration.

5

No hidden charges, ever

You pay once per catalog for a time-limited access window. There is no auto-renewal, no subscription trap, no premium tiers hidden behind paywalls. When your window expires, you simply choose whether to renew.

6

Your data is yours

We do not sell, share or lease your personal information. Your Safaricom number is used only for identity verification and M-Pesa payments. You can request deletion of your data at any time.

How to Report a Safety Concern

Never hesitate — every report is reviewed by a human, not filtered by an algorithm.

1

Find the Report button

On any profile page, scroll to the bottom and tap Report Profile. On a message thread, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Report & Block.

2

Select a category & describe the issue

Choose from: Fake / Impersonation, Harassment or Threats, Inappropriate Content, Financial Solicitation, or Other. Add a brief description — the more detail, the faster we can act.

3

Submit — get a reference number

Your report is submitted immediately. You receive a unique reference number (e.g. RPT-83621) you can use to follow up. You can report anonymously — no account required.

4

Our team reviews within 24 hours

A human moderator reviews every report. If the report is upheld, the profile is suspended immediately and the account permanently banned. You are notified of the outcome.

Our Response Commitments

Critical / Urgent reports Reviewed within 2 hours. Profile suspended immediately pending investigation.
Standard reports Reviewed within 24 hours. You receive a status update when complete.
Confirmed violations Account permanently banned. Safaricom number blocklisted. Repeat offenders referred to DCI.
For urgent threats: WhatsApp us directly at +254 700 000 000. Available 8am–10pm EAT daily. For immediate danger, contact Kenya Police 999 or Gender Violence Hotline 1195.

Data & Privacy

What we collect, how we protect it, and what we never do with it.

AES-256 Encryption

All data is encrypted at rest using AES-256. Backups are encrypted separately. Only authorised systems can decrypt stored data.

TLS 1.3 In Transit

All traffic between your browser and Roho's servers is encrypted using TLS 1.3. No plain-text transmission of personal data at any point.

M-Pesa PIN Never Stored

Your M-Pesa PIN is entered on Safaricom's own screen via STK Push. Roho never sees, stores or transmits your PIN or banking credentials.

No Data Sold, Ever

We do not sell, lease or share your personal data with advertisers, data brokers or third parties. Roho products carry no ads — your attention is not our product.

Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 Compliant

Roho operates in full compliance with the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 (KDPA) and is registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). You have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data at any time. Submit a data request to privacy@roho.co.ke.

Emergency & Support Contacts

Kenya Police

999

For immediate physical danger

Gender Violence Hotline

1195

24-hour GBV support line

DCI Cybercrime Unit

+254 722 116 116

Online fraud & cybercrime

Roho Support

+254 700 000 000

WhatsApp · 8am–10pm EAT

The Roho Safety Pledge

We built Roho because genuine matchmaking in Kenya deserved better — better safety, better consent, better accountability. Every feature, every policy, every enforcement decision is made with one question in mind: does this protect the people on this platform? We pledge to keep it that way.

Roho Founder
Chief Executive Officer
Head of Trust & Safety
Moderation & Policy
Consent-First Platform
Human Moderation
KDPA 2019 Compliant
M-Pesa Secured