1. Who we are
This website, smartmaidsgroup.com, is operated by Smartmaids Group Ltd (“Smartmaids Group”, “we”, “us”), a recruitment company based in Nairobi, Kenya, and registered with Kenya’s National Employment Authority (NEA). We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.
This policy explains what information we collect through this website and when you contact us, why we collect it, who we share it with and the rights you have under Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019.
2. Information we collect
When you apply for a job
Through our online application form we collect:
- your full name, email address, phone number, age and where you live;
- your gender, nationality, religion and marital status;
- your highest qualification, the position you are applying for, your experience level and, if experienced, the country where you worked;
- anything you choose to tell us in the “Tell us about yourself” box;
- your passport number, a copy of your passport, a passport-size photo and a full-length photo.
Later in the recruitment process we may ask for further documents, such as a Police Clearance Certificate, a Medical Examination Certificate, professional certificates and a video introduction.
Some of this information — including religion, marital status, health information in medical certificates and details on identity documents — is sensitive personal data under Kenyan law. We collect it only because Gulf employers and authorities require it for selection, work permits and visas, and we process it with your consent.
When you contact us
Through our contact form we collect your name, email address, phone number (optional), the subject and your message. If you contact us by phone, WhatsApp or email, we receive the information you choose to share.
When you submit a partnership request
We collect your company name, country, the workers you need, your requirements, your WhatsApp number, email address and any notes you add.
When you use the website
- Security checks: to protect our forms from spam and abuse we use Cloudflare Turnstile, which checks signals from your browser and device, and we use your IP address to limit repeated submissions. We store only a one-way, scrambled version of your IP address for this purpose, for up to about an hour.
- Server logs: our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information, such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to operate and secure the website.
We do not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not currently use website analytics.
3. How we use your information
- to review your application and assess whether you meet the requirements of a role;
- to match you with suitable job opportunities and employer requirements;
- to share your profile with Gulf recruitment partners and employers so they can consider you for selection;
- to process work permits, residence visas, document attestation and employment contracts if you are selected;
- to arrange flights, travel insurance, airport pickup and accommodation en route where needed;
- to provide pre-departure orientation and to keep in touch with you and your employer during your contract;
- to reply to messages, partnership requests and employer enquiries;
- to notify our team of new submissions by email;
- to keep our website and forms secure and prevent misuse;
- to meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including those of the NEA.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
4. Legal basis
We process personal information on the following grounds under the Data Protection Act, 2019:
- Consent — you give consent when you submit an application, including for sensitive personal data. You can withdraw consent at any time (see Your rights).
- Taking steps towards a contract — to consider you for employment and arrange your placement.
- Legal obligation — to meet requirements of Kenyan and destination-country authorities.
- Legitimate interests — to respond to enquiries and keep our website secure.
5. Who we share your information with
- Gulf recruitment partners and employers. To support selection and visa processing, we share applicants’ details and documents with our partners — registered Tadbeer centres in the UAE, regulated maid recruitment centres in Qatar and manpower centres in Bahrain — and with prospective employers.
- Government authorities in Kenya and in the destination country, where required for work permits, visas, attestation and regulatory compliance.
- Travel providers, such as airlines and insurers, when we arrange travel for a selected worker.
- Service providers who run parts of our website for us, under their own security and privacy
commitments:
Provider What they do for us Supabase Secure database and private file storage for applications and messages Netlify Website hosting and the server functions that process form submissions Cloudflare (Turnstile) Spam and bot protection on our forms Resend Sending email notifications of new submissions to our team - Others where the law requires it, for example in response to a lawful request from an authority.
6. Transfers outside Kenya
Because we recruit for jobs in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, applicants’ information is transferred to recruitment partners, employers and authorities in those countries. Our service providers may also store or process data on servers outside Kenya. We transfer information only as needed for the purposes in this policy and take steps to ensure it is protected, as required by the Data Protection Act, 2019.
7. How long we keep your information
- Placed workers: we keep your application, documents and contact details until you have completed your employment contract, so that we can keep in touch and support you during your working period.
- Applicants who are not placed: we keep your application for as long as we are considering you for suitable opportunities. You can ask us to delete it at any time.
- Messages and partnership requests: for as long as needed to respond and to manage our working relationship.
- Security data: scrambled IP information used to limit repeat submissions is kept for about an hour.
We may keep some information for longer where the law requires it. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or anonymise it.
8. How we protect your information
- The website uses an encrypted connection (HTTPS).
- Passports and photos are stored in private storage that is not publicly accessible.
- Access to applications is limited to authorised Smartmaids Group staff.
- Every submission is checked on our server — including the real type and size of uploaded files — before it is saved.
No system is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and review our safeguards regularly.
9. Cookies and local storage
- We do not set advertising or tracking cookies.
-
To show job vacancies quickly on repeat visits, our website saves the public list of jobs in your
browser’s local storage (under the name
smartmaids_jobs_cache_v1). It contains only public job information — never your personal details. You can clear it at any time in your browser settings. - Cloudflare Turnstile may use cookies or similar technology that is strictly necessary for the security check.
- If you contact us through WhatsApp, WhatsApp’s own privacy policy applies to that conversation.
10. Your rights
Under the Data Protection Act, 2019 you have the right to:
- be informed about how your personal information is used;
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete information that is false, misleading or no longer needed;
- object to some uses of your information;
- withdraw your consent at any time — this will not affect processing that has already taken place, but we may no longer be able to consider you for placement;
- ask for a copy of information you gave us, in a commonly used format.
To use any of these rights, email info@smartmaidsgroup.com. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on your request. We will respond as soon as possible and within the time required by law.
If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) in Kenya.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it was last changed. Any significant changes will be shown on this page.
12. Contact us
Smartmaids Group Ltd
The Mirage Towers, Tower 2, Westlands
Nairobi, Kenya
Email: info@smartmaidsgroup.com
Phone: +254 796 563 983