VeriVote Voter User Guide

Empowering you with data,
not promises.

This guide explains what the V-Score means, how to read a candidate profile, and what to look for before you vote. Last updated: March 2026.

11 sections • ~8 min read

VeriVote does not listen to campaign speeches.

It looks at records, audits, and legal facts. No opinions. No rumours. No anonymous tips. Every score is based entirely on publicly available, independently verifiable documents — court records, government audits, parliamentary transcripts, verified fact-checker reports, and official registers. This guide explains what those scores mean and how to use them.

In this guide

1. What is VeriVote?

VeriVote is an independent platform that researches candidates for public office and publishes a score based on 80 verifiable public indicators drawn from official records. Its purpose is to give every voter access to the same quality of information — whether you are a first-time voter or a seasoned analyst.

VeriVote is not affiliated with any political party, government body, or candidate campaign. It does not tell you who to vote for. It does not register voters. It does not process or record your vote. It is a research tool, and it is free to use.

The scores are grounded in two parts of Kenya's Constitution: Chapter Six (Leadership and Integrity) — which sets the integrity standards every leader must meet — and Article 10 (National Values), which includes integrity, accountability, public participation, transparency, and equity.

The records used include: EACC reports and clearances, court documents, Auditor-General reports, Hansard transcripts, IEBC filings, KRA tax clearances, PPRA procurement records, and verified fact-checker reports from Africa Check and PesaCheck. Nothing else.

2. Understanding the Score

Every candidate on VeriVote receives a score out of 100. This score reflects how well their publicly documented record meets the leadership and integrity standards required by Kenya's Constitution across five areas of governance.

The score is not a popularity rating. It is not a prediction of who will win. It is a structured, evidence-based assessment built from 80 indicators. It is designed to be independently verifiable: every number traces back to a named document from a named institution.

What does the score mean?

Score	Rating	What it means for you
90–100	Exemplary Constitutional Alignment	A rare score. This candidate has an outstanding record across all five areas. Their documentation is thorough, their integrity record is clean, and their public accountability is strong. They align closely with national values.
75–89	High Public Trust & Suitability	A reliable choice. They have proven they can manage public resources and respect the law. Strong performance across most constitutional requirements, with only minor gaps.
60–74	Conditionally Suitable	They have the skills, but there are clear gaps in their record — perhaps a lack of transparency, accountability concerns, or missed audit queries. Look at the pillar breakdown before deciding.
40–59	High Risk / Low Trust	Warning. This candidate has serious gaps. They may have been involved in active inquiries or have failed to account for public funds. Examine the full breakdown carefully.
0–39	Constitutionally Unfit	This candidate has failed the basic requirements of Chapter Six. Their record reflects fundamental failures in integrity, accountability, or public engagement that disqualify them from public office under the Constitution.

3. The Five Areas (Pillars)

Below the main score you will see five horizontal bars. Each bar represents one area of the candidate's record. The percentage next to each area is how much it contributes to the total score. A low bar in any single area is worth paying close attention to, even if the overall score looks reasonable.

Area	What it covers
1. Character & Integrity 35% of total score	The candidate's personal integrity record: EACC clearances, KRA tax compliance, court history, and whether they have been truthful and publicly accountable for past statements. This area carries the most weight because Kenya's Constitution places integrity above all other leadership qualifications.
2. Institutional Accountability 25% of total score	How well they managed public resources in any previous role: whether Auditor-General reports came back clean, procurement was handled properly, and public funds were accounted for. If they have never held office, private-sector equivalents are used where available.
3. Public Engagement & Inclusivity 15% of total score	How accessible they have been to the people they represent: Office Open Days, community forums, and geographic reach. A candidate who only appears at campaign rallies scores lower here — rallies are not a substitute for two-way public engagement.
4. Policy Development & Strategic Vision 12.5% of total score	The quality and realism of their policy commitments: whether their manifesto is specific and costed, or vague and unfunded. First-time candidates are assessed on published papers, organisational strategy records, or advocacy work.
5. Professional Experience & Competence 12.5% of total score	Their track record of delivering on responsibilities: qualifications, career history, project outcomes, and whether previous leadership roles were completed.

Why the percentages are different

Character & Integrity carries the most weight (35%) because Kenya's Constitution places leadership integrity above all other qualifications for public office. The weights are fixed and apply equally to every single candidate — they cannot be adjusted.

The weights add up to exactly 100%. This means every percentage point a candidate gains in one area directly affects how much room there is in others. A candidate cannot compensate for a critical failure in one area simply by excelling in another.

4. First-Time Candidates — How VeriVote is Fair to New Entrants

VeriVote recognises that first-time candidates have no prior public office record to audit. The system is designed to be fair to them without compromising the standards.

Situation	How VeriVote handles it
No government audit record	Where a privately audited company record or professionally certified financial record exists, it is used as an equivalent. The Evidence Confidence tag will reflect that this is indirect evidence.
Some indicators simply do not apply	If a whole area cannot be scored because no equivalent record exists, its weight is redistributed proportionally across the other areas. This means personal character becomes more important in the calculation — which is appropriate for a new entrant.
No policy track record	Published papers, white papers, organisational strategy records, or documented advocacy work are accepted as evidence of policy thinking. The confidence tag will reflect the evidence quality.

A first-time candidate is not penalised simply for not having held office. They are scored on what verifiable evidence exists. If a score is lower due to limited records, the Evidence Confidence tags will make this clear.

5. When a Score is Capped — The Safeguards

Sometimes a candidate might have an impressive policy record or years of experience — but there is a deal-breaker in their documentation. VeriVote uses two safeguard rules to ensure that no candidate can score their way past a fundamental failure.

Safeguard 1: The Integrity Check

If a candidate has a serious red flag in their integrity record, their score is automatically capped regardless of how well they perform elsewhere. Integrity is non-negotiable under Chapter Six of Kenya's Constitution.

Active court case: score capped at 49 (High Risk / Low Trust)
Confirmed conviction: score capped at 25 (Constitutionally Unfit)

These caps apply no matter how strong the candidate's policy or professional record is. A candidate cannot offset a court case with good manifesto scores. The alert banner on their profile will state the exact reason.

Safeguard 2: The Balance Check

A leader must perform adequately across all five areas — not just one or two. If a candidate scores below 30 out of 100 in any single area, their overall score is capped at 59. You cannot be "excellent" overall while completely failing one constitutional duty.

Example: a candidate with an excellent policy record and strong professional experience, but near-zero public engagement, cannot be rated above High Risk / Low Trust. Public engagement is not optional under Article 10.

If both safeguards apply at the same time

If a candidate has both an active court case AND a critical gap in one area, both safeguards fire. The lower cap always governs. An active court case caps the score at 49; a critical area gap caps it at 59. Since 49 is lower, the court case cap takes effect.

The alert banner will always specify exactly which safeguard applied and why. It is not dismissable — voters see it before they see anything else.

6. Evidence Confidence Tags

Next to every pillar score you will see a small coloured label showing how strong the evidence behind that score is. The stronger the evidence, the more weight you can place on the number.

Tag	What it means
Confidence: High	The score comes from official statutory records: Judiciary court files, EACC clearance certificates, or Auditor-General reports. These are the strongest possible facts — issued by independent government institutions with legal standing.
Confidence: Moderate	The score is based on publicly documented records such as a registered manifesto, parliamentary Hansard transcripts, official government communications, or verified fact-checker reports. Reliable, but not a primary statutory record.
Confidence: Limited	The score relies on indirect evidence — for example, a private-sector audit standing in for a government audit because the candidate has no public office history. Our best assessment given available evidence, but you should review the source detail yourself before placing full weight on it.

To see exactly what evidence was used for any area, tap the (i) icon next to that pillar. This opens your digital receipt: the document name, the institution that produced it, a link to the original, and the analyst's brief explanation of why the score was given.

7. Three Questions to Ask Before You Vote

Use these as a quick checklist when reviewing any candidate's profile:

Is there an orange or red banner?

If yes, the candidate has triggered a safeguard. Read the banner before you look at anything else. It will tell you whether they have a court case, a conviction, or a critical gap in one area of governance.

What is their Public Engagement score?

If it is low — especially below 30 — they have a documented record of not listening to the people they represent. A candidate who ignores public engagement before they are elected is unlikely to prioritise it after.

What is the Evidence Confidence tag on the areas that matter most to you?

A High confidence tag means the score is based on statutory government records. A Limited confidence tag means the evidence is indirect. Trust the High scores most. Investigate the Limited ones yourself using the source detail.

8. Your Digital Receipt — Digging into the Evidence

Every score on VeriVote is traceable. Tap the (i) icon next to any pillar to open the source detail for that area. You will see:

The name of the specific document or report used
The institution that produced it (e.g., Office of the Auditor-General, EACC, Africa Check)
A direct link or reference number so you can find and read the original document yourself
The specific part of the Constitution that the indicator is measuring
A brief note from the VeriVote analyst explaining what the evidence showed and why it was scored the way it was
If the score was adjusted or capped: a clear note explaining which rule applied and why

You do not have to take our word for it. Every score is designed to be independently verifiable. If you want to check the original document yourself, the link is there.

9. If You Think Something is Wrong

VeriVote is committed to accuracy, but no platform is infallible. If you believe a score contains an error — for example, because you have seen a document that contradicts the evidence used — you can flag it.

At the bottom of every candidate profile, there is a Report Data button. Use this to submit your concern and, if you have one, link to the counter-evidence.

What happens when you submit: the candidate's score remains as published while VeriVote reviews the submission. If the review finds a genuine error, the score is corrected and the change is logged publicly. Your submission will not alter the score directly — every correction goes through a review process.

Candidates also have a formal process to challenge their own scores. This is governed by the VeriVote Candidate Response Protocol, which is published separately.

10. What VeriVote Does Not Do

VeriVote does not…

Tell you who to vote for.

The score is one input among many. Your values, your priorities, and your judgement about what your community needs all matter. VeriVote gives you evidence. The decision is yours.

Guarantee that a high-scoring candidate will be a good leader.

Scores reflect documented past records and present evidence. They cannot predict future behaviour.

Guarantee that a low-scoring candidate will be a bad leader.

A low score reflects gaps in the public record. It may mean limited documentation rather than poor character, especially for first-time candidates. The source detail will help you understand why.

Accept payment from candidates or parties.

Scores cannot be purchased, sponsored, or influenced. VeriVote does not accept advertising from political parties, candidates, or campaign-affiliated organisations.

Affiliate with any political party, government body, or election authority.

VeriVote is independent. It is not part of IEBC, any government ministry, or any political party.

Tell you that a score is final and beyond question.

Errors can occur. Every score is open to formal challenge through the Candidate Response Protocol, and every voter can flag a concern through the Report Data button.

11. Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a candidate I trust have a low score?

A low score reflects gaps in the publicly available record, not necessarily in the person. It may mean documentation is incomplete, that some evidence was not available to our analysts, or that there are genuine concerns on record. Look at the source detail for each pillar to understand exactly why.

Can candidates see their scores and respond?

Yes. Every candidate is notified before their score is published and given the opportunity to submit a formal challenge if they believe it contains an error. The VeriVote Candidate Response Protocol governs this process. Candidates cannot alter scores directly, but they can submit counter-evidence for review.

Why is a candidate I think is more qualified scoring lower than someone less well-known?

VeriVote scores on documented evidence, not on reputation or endorsements. A high-profile candidate with limited publicly available records may score lower than a lesser-known candidate with a thorough, clean public record. Qualifications alone do not determine the score — the five areas are weighted according to constitutional priorities.

What does it mean when a score is capped?

A capped score means the candidate's overall score has been limited by a safeguard rule. This happens when they have an active court case or conviction (integrity cap at 49 or 25 respectively), or when they score below 30 in any single area (balance check cap at 59). The orange or red banner on their profile will explain exactly which rule applies.

Is VeriVote used by IEBC or the government to disqualify candidates?

No. VeriVote scores are not used by IEBC, any court, or any government body to determine eligibility for office. Eligibility is determined by law. VeriVote scores are a tool for voters, not a legal qualification mechanism.

How often are scores updated?

Scores are reviewed when new verifiable evidence becomes available, when a formal candidate challenge results in a correction, or when a significant change in a candidate's legal status occurs such as a new court filing or a resolved inquiry. The date each score was last verified is shown in the source detail.

What if a candidate has no public office history?

VeriVote adjusts for first-time candidates. Where public records do not exist, verified private-sector equivalents are used. Where no equivalent evidence exists at all, the indicator is marked not applicable and the scoring adjusts proportionally. Section 4 of this guide explains the full approach.

Can I compare candidates running against each other?

Yes. The Compare button at the bottom of every candidate profile shows a side-by-side view of up to three candidates in the same race. The evidence confidence tags on each pillar will help you understand how comparable the evidence bases are between candidates.

VeriVote: Verify Candidates. Vote Confidently.

An independent candidate intelligence platform — not a voting or registration service. Last updated: March 2026.

Empowering you with data,not promises.