Data Determinics Kenya founder and CEO Abdulrahman Masumbuko at Gulshan Restaurant on Thursday /BRIAN OTIENO
Tonny Mutugi [in red] and Kuwaref chairperson Patrick Nyakundi at Gulshan Restaurant on Thursday /BRIAN OTIENO
Kuwaref chairperson Patrick Nyakundi at Gulshan Restaurant on Thursday /BRIAN OTIENO
Kuwaref chairperson Patrick Nyakundi at Gulshan Restaurant on Thursday /BRIAN OTIENO
A young Mombasa man has created an application that enables young people to verify information provided by politicians about projects.
Abdulrahman Masumbuko says this will help young people become better informed and make informed choices at the ballot.
The Kuwaref app, which was launched on Thursday, has so far registered 28,000 people in Mombasa.
Masumbuko, who unsuccessfully vied for the Shanzu MCA seat in 2022, said he saw things he did not like during the elections, and that is when he started developing the application.
“It was like a wake-up call for me. I was convinced I could make a change, even if not from the county assembly or inside the political arena, but from wherever I was,” the young entrepreneur said.
Masumbuko said that, to encourage greater youth engagement in politics, he saw it as necessary to digitise politics in the country, thereby encouraging more young people to vie for political positions.
“Digitisation makes things more transparent compared to manual systems,” he said.
Masumbuko, who is the founder and CEO of Data Determinics Kenya, a research start-up that analyses political decisions and facts, said young people in Kenya need to understand the effects of electing the wrong people.
“Young people have votes but they do not vote because they lack proper information and are therefore confused. Today, young people will abandon anything that does not make sense to them,” he said on Thursday during the launch of the app at Gulshan Restaurant along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue.
He said that, as a young person, he would like fellow young people to vote in large numbers and protect their votes through technology.
“The Kuwaref application has many aspects. You can verify your voter status through the app so you know whether you are still listed as a voter or not, and identify your polling station,” Masumbuko told the Star.
The app also verifies statements made by politicians about projects.
“When a politician or the government says they have completed or undertaken a certain project, our team goes to the ground to ascertain such information and later updates it on the app, indicating whether that statement is true or false,” the young entrepreneur said.
He said the team visits government offices in Kenya to ask questions and determine whether certain statements are true.
The team also conducts research among ordinary citizens.
He said there are mechanisms, which he would not reveal, that would help safeguard votes through the app.
The application is available on the Play Store and other platforms.
Patrick Nyakundi, the Kuwaref Team chair, said many young people have registered as voters and now need to become referees to ensure the political game is fair.
He said they want to move the conversation away from demonstrations and start critiquing politicians using facts.
“In 2024, we, the young people, were in the streets demonstrating, but most of us did not actually know exactly why we were demonstrating,” Nyakundi said.
For instance, he said, the Kuwaref app contains information on the Finance Bill, 2026, and what it actually entails.
“The things that the government says they are doing, the infrastructure they are building, we want to verify whether they are true on the ground,” Nyakundi said.
On the platform, young people can vote on statements made by politicians based on what they see or experience on the ground.
“If a young person is admitted to hospital and SHA helps them pay the bill, they can log into the platform and vote. If not, they can also vote,” Nyakundi said.
He said the Kuwaref app will be launched across the country following the Mombasa launch.
“Be registered on Kuwaref. Get to know what’s happening with our government so that when we figuratively throw stones, we know exactly why we are doing it,” he said.
Masumbuko said they are currently seeking funding so they can launch the app in other parts of the country and reach as many young people as possible.
He said the research they conduct requires more manpower and financial resources so they can cover a larger area.
