Draft for legal review. This policy has not been approved and must not be relied on. Items marked TO CONFIRM need an answer before publishing.

Hornbill Freight Desk Back to Freight Desk

Privacy policy

Draft prepared 13 October 2026 under the Data Protection Act, 2019 (Kenya).

1. Who we are

Hornbill Freight Desk is cloud software provided by Hornbill, Makupa Roundabout, Mombasa, Kenya. Hornbill also runs Hornbill POS and Hornbill Smart Security.

Hornbill is registered with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), Kenya. TO CONFIRM: registered legal name of the Hornbill entity, and whether the registration certificate number should be published here.

Contact for anything in this policy: freightdesk@hornbilltech.com or WhatsApp +254 759 293 030. TO CONFIRM: name or role of the data protection contact, if one is designated.

2. What this policy covers

This policy covers two things:

  • this website, freightdesk.hornbilltech.com, and
  • the Freight Desk service that our customers (clearing & forwarding agents, consolidators and transport operators) use to run their work.

3. Personal data we collect

On this website. The site has no forms and no accounts. When you tap Book demo, WhatsApp opens with a prefilled message. If you send it, we receive your WhatsApp number, your name as shown on WhatsApp and whatever you write, such as your company name and the modules you are interested in.

TO CONFIRM: whether Google Analytics 4 and/or the Meta Pixel will be switched on. They are included in the page but disabled. If they are enabled, describe the cookies and data they collect, and add a consent mechanism where required.

TO CONFIRM: what server logs (for example IP address, browser type, pages requested) the website host keeps, and for how long.

In the Freight Desk service. We hold:

  • account details for each user: name, email address, phone number and role (operations, finance, transport manager or director);
  • the business records our customers enter, which can include personal data about their shippers and buyers (consignees), suppliers (consignors), staff and drivers. For example: company and contact names, phone numbers, KRA PINs, driver names and licence details, vehicle allocations and trip records, and payment references such as M-Pesa, bank or cheque numbers.

For the business records our customers enter, the customer decides why and how that data is processed, and Hornbill processes it on the customer's behalf. TO CONFIRM: controller/processor roles, and whether a data processing agreement is signed with each customer.

4. Why we use it, and our lawful basis

Under section 30 of the Act we process personal data only where we have a lawful basis. We use personal data to:

  • reply to demo requests and support messages (steps taken at your request before a contract, and our legitimate interest in answering enquiries);
  • provide the Freight Desk service, including logins, notifications and support (performance of our contract with the customer);
  • send automatic WhatsApp and SMS notifications that a customer has switched on (performance of the contract, on the customer's instructions);
  • keep records the law requires, such as invoices (legal obligation).

We do not sell personal data. TO CONFIRM: whether any direct marketing is sent, and if so the consent and opt-out process required by section 37.

5. Who we share it with

  • The managed third-party cloud server provider that hosts Freight Desk.
  • WhatsApp (Meta) and an SMS provider, to deliver messages and notifications. TO CONFIRM: the SMS provider.
  • Google and Meta, only if analytics on this website is switched on.
  • Authorities, where the law requires it.

6. Transfers outside Kenya

TO CONFIRM: the country or countries where the cloud server is located, and the safeguards relied on for transfers under Part VI (sections 48 to 50) of the Act.

7. How long we keep it

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected for, or as the law requires (section 39). TO CONFIRM: retention periods for demo enquiries, user accounts, customer records after a contract ends, and financial records.

8. Keeping it safe

Each Freight Desk user has their own login, and access is set by role. The data sits on a managed cloud server, not on one office PC. If a personal data breach happens, we will notify the Data Commissioner and, where required, the people affected, as section 43 sets out. TO CONFIRM: any further security measures the business is prepared to state publicly.

9. Your rights

Under section 26 of the Act you have the right to:

  • be told how your personal data is used;
  • access the personal data we hold about you;
  • object to the processing of all or part of it;
  • have false or misleading data corrected;
  • have false or misleading data deleted.

You may also ask for your data in a portable format (section 38), ask us to correct or delete data (section 40), and not be subject to a decision based only on automated processing that significantly affects you (section 35).

To use any of these rights, email freightdesk@hornbilltech.com. If your data was entered into Freight Desk by one of our customers, we will pass your request to that customer and help them respond. TO CONFIRM: response timeframes under the Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021.

10. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, please contact us first. You can also complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, Kenya.

11. Children

Freight Desk is a business tool and is not meant for children. We do not knowingly collect children's personal data.

12. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes on this page with a new date. TO CONFIRM: the effective date once approved.