Sakalia
Privacy policy
Last updated: 9 November 2026
Sakalia is a personal publication. I collect as little about you as I can and keep it only as long as it is useful to you. This page explains what that means in practice, in line with Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019.
Who is responsible
Zachariah Oburi publishes Sakalia from Nairobi, Kenya, and is the data controller for the personal data described here. Write to sak@sakalia.com about anything on this page.
What I collect, and why
| What | When | Why, and on what basis | How long I keep it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your email address, and your first name if you give it | When you sign up for the letter | To send you the letter you asked for. Basis: your consent, which you give by signing up and confirming from your inbox. | Until you unsubscribe. After that I keep only your address on a do-not-send list, so you are never emailed again by mistake. |
| Whether each letter was delivered, opened, or a link in it clicked | When a letter is sent | To check that letters arrive and to learn what readers find useful. Basis: my legitimate interest in running the letter properly. | While you remain subscribed. |
| Your name, email address and whatever you write | When you email me or reply to a letter | To read and answer you, and, only with your permission, to quote you in a later letter. Basis: my legitimate interest in answering correspondence, and your consent for anything published. | For as long as the conversation needs it. Ask and I will delete it. |
| Your IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time | When any page loads | To keep the website running and secure. Basis: legitimate interest in security. | Only as long as security needs, then deleted. |
What I do not do
- No advertising, and no analytics or tracking cookies.
- No selling, renting or trading of your data, ever.
- No comments section, so the website itself collects nothing from readers beyond the server logs above.
- No profiling, and no automated decisions about you.
Cookies
The website sets no cookies for readers. WordPress sets cookies only for someone who logs in to manage the site, which in practice means me.
Where your data is kept
Your details are kept on secure servers, under written terms that require them to be protected and used only to run Sakalia. Nobody else may use them for their own purposes, and you agree to this when you sign up or write to me. Ask and I will tell you exactly where your data is held.
Your rights
Under the Data Protection Act you may ask to be told how your data is used, to see the data I hold about you, to object to its use, to have it corrected or deleted, to receive it in a usable format, and to withdraw your consent at any time. Email sak@sakalia.com and I will act on your request as soon as I can, and within the time the law allows. To stop the letter, use the unsubscribe link at the foot of any issue.
If you are not satisfied with my answer, you may complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Children
Sakalia is written for adults. I do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has signed up, tell me and I will delete the record.
Security
The website is served over an encrypted connection, and access to the subscriber list is limited to me. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, but I take the care I would expect from others with my own details.
Links to other websites
Essays sometimes link to other websites, including sources for the proverbs. Their own privacy policies apply once you are there.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date at the top will change. If the change matters to subscribers, I will say so in the letter.