About UchaguziOS
Building the technology that powers Africa's democratic future.
Who We Are
Our Story
UchaguziOS — The Operating System for Modern Campaigns — was founded in early 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, born from a conversation between two technologists who had each spent years inside Kenya's most critical institutions. Amara Oduya was a data scientist at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), where she spent years building voter analytics systems for national elections. During the 2022 general election, she watched in frustration as manual processes, spreadsheet-based voter tracking, and fragmented communication channels created chaos at the ward and constituency level — not within the commission itself, but among the very campaigns that democracy depends on.
David Kimani was a senior engineer at Safaricom, Kenya's largest telecom, where he had played a pivotal role in scaling M-Pesa from a mobile money experiment into a financial infrastructure serving over 50 million users across the continent. He had seen firsthand how the right technology, thoughtfully designed and relentlessly refined, could transform an entire sector. He understood that carrier-grade reliability and intuitive user experiences were not luxuries — they were prerequisites for any technology that aimed to serve millions.
When Amara and David connected through Nairobi's thriving tech ecosystem, they quickly realised they were looking at two sides of the same problem. While M-Pesa had revolutionised payments and Safaricom had connected a nation, political campaigns in Kenya — and across Africa — were still operating with the same tools they had used for decades: spreadsheets for voter lists, WhatsApp groups for coordination, paper forms for agent reporting, and gut instinct for strategic decisions. The most well-resourced campaigns could afford expensive international consultants and custom-built tools, but the vast majority of candidates — ward representatives, women leaders, youth advocates — were left to fend for themselves.
They built their first prototype in a cramped co-working space in Westlands during the first quarter of 2024 — a simple voter database with bulk SMS capabilities and a basic dashboard for tracking outreach. Their first client was a ward-level MCA candidate in Kiambu County who had been told by every other vendor that his budget was too small and his ward too rural to justify investment. Using UchaguziOS's prototype, that candidate won his seat by 8 percentage points — a margin that his campaign team attributed directly to the platform's voter segmentation and targeted messaging capabilities.
That single victory proved the thesis. By the end of 2025, UchaguziOS had scaled to serve 50 campaigns across multiple counties, and version 3.0 had introduced election day operations and GIS mapping that transformed how campaigns monitored polling stations and coordinated their agents in real time. The platform had evolved from a simple CRM into a comprehensive campaign operating system.
In 2026, version 6.0 marked the beginning of true national expansion. UchaguziOS now operates across all 47 Kenyan counties and 1,450 electoral wards, serving 200+ campaigns with a team of 50+ dedicated professionals. The vision that started in a Westlands co-working space remains the same: every African candidate — regardless of budget, party, or geography — deserves world-class campaign tools. Because when campaigns compete on ideas and competence rather than resources alone, democracy wins.
Our Journey
Key Milestones
Founded in Nairobi, Kenya
Amara Oduya and David Kimani officially registered UchaguziOS as a limited company in Nairobi, establishing the foundation for Africa's first purpose-built campaign management platform.
First prototype, 3 beta clients
Built the initial voter database and communication tools in a Westlands co-working space. Onboarded three ward-level candidates for early testing and rapid iteration.
Launched v1.0 — Core CRM & Communications
Released the first production version with voter CRM, bulk SMS via Twilio, WhatsApp integration, and basic reporting dashboards used by 12 campaigns.
v3.0 — Election Day Ops & GIS Mapping
Major release adding real-time polling station monitoring, GIS-based ward mapping, agent coordination tools, and live results tracking used across 3 counties.
v4.0 — Multi-Tenant SaaS & Billing
Transformed into a true SaaS platform with self-service onboarding, tiered subscription plans, automated M-Pesa billing, and multi-tenant architecture.
v5.0 Enterprise — AI Intelligence & 35+ Modules
Enterprise release featuring AI-powered voter sentiment analysis, predictive turnout models, 35+ integrated modules, and advanced role-based access controls.
v6.0 — National Expansion (47 counties, 1,450 wards)
Full national rollout covering all 47 counties and 1,450 wards. Added multi-language support, offline PWA, and enterprise-grade SLA commitments.
Powering 200+ campaigns, 50+ team members
Scaled to serve 200+ political campaigns of all sizes with a team of 50+ engineers, product specialists, and field operations staff across Kenya.
Our Purpose
Mission & Vision
The guiding purpose and long-term aspiration that drive every decision we make and every line of code we write.
“To democratize campaign technology and give every candidate — regardless of resources — access to world-class campaign management tools.”
We believe that technology should level the playing field, not widen it. Our pricing model, product design philosophy, and customer support structure are all built around a single conviction: a ward-level MCA candidate in rural Mandera deserves the same quality of campaign tools as a gubernatorial candidate in Nairobi. That conviction shapes every feature we build, every price we set, and every support call we answer.
Our mission extends beyond software. We invest in training programmes, field support teams, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that build lasting campaign management capacity across Kenya's political landscape.
“An Africa where every election is fought on ideas and competence, not resource asymmetry.”
We envision a continent where the best candidates win — not because they had the biggest budget or the most connected consultants, but because every campaign, from grassroots to national, had access to the same caliber of tools, data, and intelligence. When campaigns compete on policy, vision, and connection with voters rather than raw financial advantage, democracy delivers better outcomes for everyone.
Our long-term goal is to expand beyond Kenya to serve campaigns across East Africa, West Africa, and ultimately the entire continent — adapting our platform to each country's unique electoral framework, regulatory environment, and cultural context.
What Guides Us
Our Values
The six core principles that guide every product decision, every client interaction, and every line of code we write at UchaguziOS.
Integrity
Data protection, transparent pricing, and honest communication form the bedrock of every interaction we have with campaigns, partners, and the public.
- End-to-end encryption for all voter data with zero-knowledge architecture ensuring campaign information remains strictly confidential
- Published pricing with no hidden fees — every campaign knows exactly what they are paying for before they sign up
- Honest communication about capabilities and limitations — we never overpromise or misrepresent what our platform can deliver
- Strict political neutrality — UchaguziOS serves all legally registered candidates regardless of party affiliation or ideology
Innovation
An AI-first approach, relentless continuous improvement, and cutting-edge technology drive every product decision and engineering sprint we undertake.
- AI-first approach to every feature — from voter segmentation and sentiment analysis to predictive turnout modelling and resource allocation
- Continuous improvement through bi-weekly feature releases informed by direct feedback from campaign managers in the field
- Cutting-edge technology stack including custom machine learning models trained specifically on Kenyan electoral data patterns
- Dedicated R&D investment with 20% of engineering time allocated to exploring emerging technologies that can strengthen democratic processes
Inclusivity
Accessible to all campaign sizes, multi-language support, and mobile-first design ensure every Kenyan candidate can leverage world-class campaign tools.
- Affordable pricing tiers designed for ward-level MCA campaigns through to presidential campaigns — no candidate is priced out
- Multi-language support including English, Swahili, and key local dialects to ensure accessibility across all of Kenya's diverse communities
- Mobile-first progressive web app design that works flawlessly on low-end Android devices with limited connectivity or offline scenarios
- Intuitive UI/UX that requires no technical training — a campaign volunteer in rural Turkana can use UchaguziOS as easily as a data analyst in Nairobi
Impact
Measurable results, data-driven decisions, and a relentless commitment to election integrity define the tangible value we deliver to every campaign.
- Measurable results tracked through comprehensive analytics dashboards showing real-time ROI on campaign activities and voter outreach
- Data-driven decision making tools that replace gut feelings with evidence-based strategies for resource allocation and voter targeting
- Election integrity support through transparent monitoring tools, verified agent networks, and audit-ready reporting for post-election review
- Democratic strengthening by enabling issue-based campaigning where the best ideas and policies win rather than the deepest pockets
Security
End-to-end encryption, compliance-first engineering, and responsible data handling ensure that sensitive campaign information is always protected.
- AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit for all data — voter records, communication logs, and strategic documents are fully protected
- Compliance-first engineering adhering to the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019), ISO 27001 standards, and international best practices for data governance
- Regular third-party security audits conducted quarterly with results shared transparently with enterprise clients and regulatory bodies
- Responsible data handling with automatic data purging after election cycles, granular consent management, and strict access controls at every level
Partnership
We work alongside IEBC, civil society organisations, and international development agencies to strengthen democratic institutions across the continent.
- Strategic collaboration with IEBC and electoral commissions to ensure our tools complement and support official electoral processes, never undermine them
- Civil society partnerships with organisations like USAID, the African Union, and local governance watchdogs to promote transparent and credible elections
- Long-term relationship building with campaign clients — our average client engagement spans multiple election cycles, not just one race
- Knowledge sharing through open research publications, industry conference presentations, and capacity building programmes for emerging democracies
The People Behind UchaguziOS
Leadership Team
Experienced operators, technologists, and civic leaders who bring decades of combined expertise in election technology, enterprise software, and African democratic governance.
Amara Oduya
CEO & Co-Founder
Former IEBC data scientist with 10 years in election technology and a Harvard Kennedy School MPA. Led data strategy for the 2017 and 2022 national elections.
Founded UchaguziOS to bridge the campaign technology gap she witnessed firsthand — where well-resourced campaigns dominated while grassroots candidates with better ideas were left behind.
Recognised by Africa Tech Summit as one of the continent's top 50 civic tech innovators and a frequent speaker on election technology at global forums.
David Kimani
CTO & Co-Founder
Ex-Safaricom engineering lead with 15 years in fintech and distributed systems. MSc Computer Science from the University of Nairobi.
Architected M-Pesa's merchant platform serving millions of daily transactions. Now brings carrier-grade reliability and scalability to political campaign technology.
Passionate about building systems that work in low-connectivity environments — a philosophy shaped by serving users across rural Africa.
Fatuma Ali
VP Product
Built campaign tools deployed across 3 African elections. Former Andela product lead with deep expertise in user experience research for African markets.
Leads product strategy for UchaguziOS's 35+ modules, ensuring every feature is designed with the realities of Kenyan campaigns at the forefront of decision-making.
Holds a BSc in Information Technology from Strathmore University and an MBA from INSEAD, combining technical depth with strategic business acumen.
Joseph Njoroge
Head of AI
PhD in Machine Learning from the University of Nairobi. Published 15 peer-reviewed papers on NLP and prediction models in developing-world contexts.
Former Google AI research resident with experience building language models for low-resource languages including Swahili, Kikuyu, and Luo dialects.
Leads a team of 6 data scientists building UchaguziOS's proprietary AI engine for voter sentiment analysis, turnout prediction, and strategic resource allocation.
Amina Wanjiru
Head of Sales
10 years in enterprise SaaS across East Africa. Former Salesforce senior account executive with a track record of Sh1B+ in career sales revenue.
Deep relationships across Kenya's political landscape with a professional network spanning all 47 county governments, party headquarters, and political consulting firms.
Led the sales strategy that scaled UchaguziOS from 3 beta clients in 2024 to 200+ active campaigns by 2027, with a 98% client retention rate.
Brian Otieno
Head of Operations
Logistics veteran who has managed 500+ field teams across 3 full election cycles in Kenya, covering every county from Mombasa to Mandera.
Former operations lead at a major East African logistics firm where he built last-mile delivery networks serving some of Kenya's most remote constituencies.
Oversees UchaguziOS's field operations, training programmes, and election day support infrastructure that ensures campaigns run smoothly from registration to tallying.
Charles Mwangi
Head of Engineering
Ex-Google senior software engineer with 12 years building scalable platforms serving hundreds of millions of users across multiple continents.
Kubernetes, cloud architecture, and distributed systems expert. Led the engineering redesign that transformed UchaguziOS from a monolith into a microservices platform.
Manages a team of 18 engineers across frontend, backend, mobile, and infrastructure — maintaining 99.9% platform uptime through every election cycle.
Zawadi Nkatha
Head of Customer Success
Former IEBC voter education coordinator who spent 8 years working on civic engagement programmes across Kenya's 47 counties.
Passionate about civic technology and its power to strengthen democratic participation, especially among youth, women, and marginalised communities.
Built UchaguziOS's customer success framework from the ground up, including 24/7 election day support, onboarding bootcamps, and a dedicated field training team.
Under The Hood
Our Technology
Enterprise-grade architecture designed for the unique demands of African political campaigns — reliability in low-connectivity environments, security for sensitive voter data, and scalability for election-day peaks.
Frontend
Modern, responsive user interfaces
- Next.js 16 with App Router
- React Server Components
- TypeScript 5 for type safety
- Tailwind CSS 4 for styling
Backend
Robust server-side architecture
- Node.js runtime environment
- Next.js API Routes
- Prisma ORM for data access
- Zustand & TanStack Query
Database
Reliable, high-performance data layer
- PostgreSQL with real-time replication
- Read replicas for query performance
- Automated daily backups
- Point-in-time recovery
AI / ML
Proprietary intelligence engine
- Custom Python ML models
- Voter sentiment analysis
- Predictive turnout analytics
- NLP for Swahili and English
Infrastructure
Enterprise-grade cloud platform
- AWS multi-region deployment
- Docker containerisation
- Kubernetes orchestration
- Global CDN for static assets
Mobile
Field-ready progressive web app
- PWA with offline support
- Push notifications
- Low-bandwidth optimisation
- Works on low-end devices
Security
Multi-layered protection architecture
- AES-256 encryption at rest
- TLS 1.3 in transit
- Two-factor authentication
- RBAC with audit logging
Integrations
Connected to Africa's key platforms
- M-Pesa for payments
- Twilio for SMS & voice
- WhatsApp Business API
- OpenStreetMap for GIS
Proven Results
By The Numbers
Real metrics from real campaigns — not projections, not estimates, not aspirational targets. Verified data as of Q1 2027.
200+
Campaigns Served
47
Counties Active
2M+
Voters Reached
98%
Client Retention
50+
Team Members
15M+
Messages Delivered
35+
Platform Modules
99.9%
Platform Uptime
In The Spotlight
Press & Recognition
Coverage and awards from leading media outlets, international development organisations, and Africa's premier technology conferences.
TechCabal
2026
Top 10 African GovTech Startups
UchaguziOS named among the continent's most transformative government technology companies, recognised for its innovative approach to election management.
Nation Media Group
2026
Democracy's Digital Backbone
In-depth feature exploring how UchaguziOS is becoming the invisible infrastructure behind Kenya's most competitive political campaigns at every level.
Business Daily
2025
UchaguziOS Raises Series A
Exclusive coverage of UchaguziOS's Series A funding round, highlighting investor confidence in African civic technology and the company's growth trajectory.
Africa Tech Summit
2026
Innovation in Civic Tech Award
Awarded the prestigious Innovation in Civic Tech prize at the Africa Tech Summit in Nairobi, beating 120+ nominees from 28 African countries.
USAID
2025
Partnering for Democratic Integrity
Featured in USAID's annual democracy and governance report for the partnership supporting transparent election monitoring in Kenya's devolved units.
The Standard
2026
Kenya's Campaign Tech Revolution
Comprehensive analysis of how technology is reshaping political campaigning in Kenya, with UchaguziOS profiled as the market leader driving this transformation.
Our Ecosystem
Partners & Certifications
Trusted by leading government institutions, international development agencies, and certified to the highest standards of data security and governance.
UchaguziOS is fully compliant with the Kenya Data Protection Act (2019) and ISO 27001 certified for information security management. We undergo quarterly third-party security audits and maintain enterprise-grade SLA commitments for all platform clients.
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