Spotlight Kenya

Editorial standards

How Spotlight Kenya decides what to publish

Every listing carries our editorial weight. This page documents exactly how we get there — the verification process, the principles we hold ourselves to, and the rules that govern reviews and submissions.

How verification works

Trust on Spotlight Kenya is earned, not granted

Every listing you see has moved through five deliberate stages. We document each one — the date, the editor, and the method — so readers and owners both know exactly where a business stands.

  1. Stage 01

    Application

    An owner submits, or our editors nominate a business based on a tip from the community.

  2. Stage 02

    Editorial screening

    We sanity-check the basics — location, hours, pricing, photos — before we ever schedule a visit.

  3. Stage 03

    Verification visit

    An editor visits in person, talks to staff, confirms what's on the page, and notes what isn't.

  4. Stage 04

    Publication

    Only verified, dated listings are published. Unverified entries stay in draft.

  5. Stage 05

    Periodic review

    Every published listing is re-checked on a rolling 90-day cycle. If it slips, the badge comes off.

Editorial principles

Four rules we don't break

  1. Verification before publication

    No business is published until an editor has confirmed its existence, hours, pricing and contact details — usually in person.

  2. Honest editorial voice

    We name what works and what doesn't. Listings show pros and cons, not marketing copy. Editor notes describe what we actually saw.

  3. No paid placement disguised as recommendation

    Featured slots, ad units, and editorial picks are visually distinct. We never let advertising spend influence which businesses get verified.

  4. Re-verification on a schedule

    Every listing is re-checked on a rolling 90-day cycle. If standards slip — or the business closes — the badge comes off and the listing is updated or unpublished.

Submission & eligibility

What a business needs to qualify for verification.

  • Operates legally in Kenya with a verifiable physical location.
  • Open to the general public (or a clearly defined business segment for B2B).
  • Provides accurate hours, pricing in KES, and a working contact channel.
  • Owner or manager available for an in-person or phone verification visit.
  • Willing to honour the pricing, hours and amenities listed on the page.
Submit a business

Review & community policy

How we handle community reviews and owner responses.

  • Reviews must come from real visits — we remove anything that reads like a copy-paste template.
  • We don't filter critical reviews. Three-star feedback stays up; constructive criticism is part of the picture.
  • Owners can respond publicly, but cannot remove a review for being negative.
  • Reviews older than 12 months are clearly dated, so readers can weigh recency.
  • We never accept payment to remove, hide, or reorder reviews.

Read the businesses we've put through the process

Our Spotlight Guides bundle verified picks around a single decision — "where do I start?" — written by editors who've actually visited.

Browse Spotlight Guides