Cafe Javas ordered to pay Shs 2Milllion to customer over unsolicited messages 

Café Javas, has been ordered to compensate a customer after Kenya’s data regulator found it sent unsolicited promotional messages without proper consent.

The ruling was issued by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in the neighboring country and it follows a complaint by a man who said he received marketing SMS messages from the restaurant despite not agreeing to receive adverts. 

The complainant, Steve Onwonga Omwenga, says he started getting the promotional SMS messages in September 2025. �

The regulator awarded him KSh75,000, which is about Shs2 million.

Café Javas, operated by CJ’s Limited, which recently extended operations to Nairobi, is one of Uganda’s most recognised casual dining brands. 

According to the complaint, On wonga received promotional text messages advertising special offers. 

He argued that he had not given clear permission for his phone number to be used for marketing.

He also said his attempts to object were not addressed in time.In its response, the company admitted sending the messages as part of a wider promotional campaign. 

It said it later removed the customer’s number from its system and apologised. It also offered a voucher. 

However, the regulator ruled that the key issue was prior consent.

Consent means clear and specific permission given before a company uses personal data for advertising. Under Kenya’s Data Protection Act, businesses must prove they obtained such permission.