Caroline Wanjiru Kan'gethe v Circus 254 Co Sarakasi Trust

Complaint upheld; compensation ordered. ODPC, 17 December 2024.

Record ID: ke-odpc-2024-0111
Case reference: ODPC Complaint No. 1436 of 2024
Jurisdiction: Kenya
Regulator: ODPC
Type: determination
Complainant: Caroline Wanjiru Kan'gethe
Date decided: 17 December 2024
Respondent type: private
Sector: general
Violations: unauthorised image/photo use, lack of consent, commercial use of personal data, failure to respond to erasure request, unlawful processing
Provisions cited: s.25 DPA 2019, s.29 DPA 2019, s.30 DPA 2019, s.32 DPA 2019, s.37 DPA 2019, s.40 DPA 2019, s.56 DPA 2019, s.65 DPA 2019
Outcome: complaint upheld; compensation ordered
Compensation: KES 500,000 (≈ USD 3,790 at the decision date)
Status: final
Source: Official document ↗
Source integrity: SHA-256 eb01b08100258fbb…
Record verified: 30 July 2026

The facts

The complainant alleged that Circus 254, care of Sarakasi Trust, used her image on its social media platforms for commercial purposes without her express consent or any other lawful basis. The ODPC found the respondent could not prove it obtained express consent and held it liable for the breach notwithstanding its subsequent removal of the images.

Orders and outcome

The respondent was found liable and directed to compensate the complainant Kshs. 500,000 for the use of her image for commercial purposes without express consent. Dated December 2024.

CONSENT · GENERAL · RIGHT-TO-ERASURE · UNLAWFUL-PROCESSING · UPHELD

Cite this decision

ODPC (Kenya), Caroline Wanjiru Kan'gethe v Circus 254 Co Sarakasi Trust, ODPC Complaint No. 1436 of 2024, determination of 17 December 2024. African Data Protection Enforcement Tracker, Law Lab Africa Research, https://research.lawlab.africa/tracker/kenya/odpc/2024/circus-254-co-sarakasi-trust/ (accessed 30 August 2026).

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