Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 17, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Imkulima. We are an AI-powered smart farming platform headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. We operate the Imkulima mobile application and website at https://imkulima.com.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our AI crop disease detection, smart irrigation advisory, marketplace, and community features. By using our Services, you agree to these practices.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Account Registration: Name, email, phone number, and password.
Farmer Profile: Farm location (county/region), farm size, crop types, and farming practices.
Marketplace Activity: Product listings, pricing, and transaction details.
Community Interaction: Posts, comments, and forum discussions.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and Usage Data: Device type, OS, IP address, and how you interact with our app.
Location Data: With your consent, we use GPS data to provide hyper-local weather and connect you with nearby buyers and sellers.

2.3 Crop Scan and Image Data

When you use the Scan Crop feature:

Images are securely sent to our AI models for disease and pest identification.
Results are stored in your history to track growth and improve our AI.

Note: We do not sell individual crop images to third parties.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to:

Provide Services: Run AI scans, weather forecasts, and irrigation advice.
Facilitate Trade: Manage marketplace transactions and secure payment escrows.
Communicate: Send account alerts, support responses, and agricultural insights.
Improve Tech: Train our AI models for better accuracy with regional Kenyan crop varieties.
Legal Compliance: Ensure safety and follow the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019.

4. Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data. We only share information with:

Service Providers: Cloud hosting (Google Vertex AI), payment processors, and weather data providers.
Marketplace Participants: Necessary details (name, region) visible to those you trade with.
Research Partners: Aggregated, anonymized data shared with agricultural institutes to improve regional diagnostics.
Legal Authorities: Only when required by Kenyan law or court orders.

5. Data Retention and Security

Retention: Account data is kept for the life of the account plus 12 months. Financial records are kept for 7 years per Kenyan tax law.
Security: We use TLS and HTTPS encryption, secure cloud storage, and regular monitoring to protect your information.
Breach Notification: In case of a high-risk data breach, we will notify you and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

6. Your Rights

Under the KDPA 2019, you have the right to:

Access a copy of your data.
Correct inaccurate information.
Delete your data (Right to Erasure).
Object to certain processing or withdraw consent.
Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format.

To exercise these rights, email us at info@imkulima.com. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

7. International Transfers

While your data is primarily stored in Kenya, some AI processing (via Google Vertex AI) may occur internationally. We ensure these transfers comply with KDPA standards using secure contractual safeguards.

8. Contact Us

Imkulima Tech Nairobi, Kenya

Email: info@imkulima.com

Phone: +254 796 331359 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EAT)

Web: https://imkulima.com

Complaints: If unsatisfied, you may contact the ODPC Kenya at www.odpc.go.ke.