When it comes to getting a motor insurance cover in Kenya, one is faced with 3 choices:
- Comprehensive
- Third Party Only (TPO)
- Third Party Fire &Theft (TP
The TPO cover is the most popular cover on the market because it is the most cost friendly starting at KSh 5,063. It is also the lowest cover required and mandated by law to be able to operate a motor vehicle on Kenyan roads according to the traffic act Cap 405
In this series, we shall look at the comprehensive insurance cover and explore how it works, what it covers, how to get on cover and the claims process!
Car Insurance Companies
Most of the companies offering General Insurance products also offer car insurance. While all companies will offer this for private cars and commercial vehicles, most have already shied away for PSV related vehicles like UBER/Taxify and Matatu buses. Therefore, when getting comprehensive car insurance, shop around and see where you could get the best value for money.
The table below shows a typical comprehensive car insurance policy offered in Kenya and what is covered
| COVER | LIMIT (KSh) |
| Third party property damage | 20,000,000 |
| Death Injury to any one person | 3,000,000 |
| Death Injury any one event | Unlimited |
| Passenger legal Liability one person | 4,000,000 |
| Passenger Legal Liability One event | 20,000,000 |
| Authorised Repair Limit | 50,000 |
| Emergency Medical Expenses | 50,000 |
| Towing | 50,000 |
| Windscreen damage | 50,000 |
| Entertainment Unit | 50,000 |
| Floods, Earthquakes, Thunder | Covered |
| Riot, Strikes, Fire | Covered |
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Windscreen and Radio Cover
This is a special section of the comprehensive car insurance cover. It normally covers from KSh 30,000 up to KSh 100,000 for damages or loss to the windscreen and car entertainment system separately. While car radio thefts were prevalent in the past, they are much less common presently, windscreen damage is the most common on this cover. Customers can also buy a higher limit of insurance for this section at a price, which is normally 10% of the additional limit required. For example, to buy an extra KSh 50,000 of windscreen cover, one pays KSh 5,000.
In case of damage, this cover is not subject the excess requirements on the insurance policy. The damage claim is admissible however small. Many car insurance companies will normally settle such a claim on re-imbursement. This means that the insured will repair the damages and present receipts for re-imbursement.
In addition, after a claim has been admitted and settled, the client has to buy a windscreen cover re-instatement at a cost of 10% of the windscreen limit on the policy
Accidental Damage and Theft
This is the biggest and most often claimed part of the comprehensive car insurance policy. This covers against physical damage to the insured vehicle from road accidents caused by the insured and third parties. The motor policy will then foot the costs of towing, inspection and repairs subject to the excess terms discussed in the section below.
In addition, comprehensive insurance in Kenya covers partial and full theft of the vehicle. Partial theft is where parts and accessories like tyres, side mirrors, etc are stolen while full theft the entire vehicle is taken. Again, this insurance covers these losses subject to excess terms.
Excess Protector
This is the most recommended add-on to the basic comprehensive car insurance. It kicks in when an accident has occurred and the vehicle is to be repaired. As the name suggests, it protects the insured against paying excesses from their own pocket. The excess payable is normally set at 2.5% of the vehicle value for private cars and 5% of vehicle value for PSV and commercial cars. It is also subject to a minimum of about KSh 20,000. Check your quotes and policy schedule for more details and specific values for the policy. If the damage repair costs exceed these figures, the excess protector kicks in and the insured does not have to pay a penny out of pocket. For a detailed explanation of the excess protector, description and examples of the different scenarios, check out this excess protector guide
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Motor Insurance Rates and NCD
When it comes to rates for comprehensive car insurance in Kenya, it’s all about compare and shop around. Generally, the rate will be between 3-4% of the market value of your car for the basic comprehensive cover. The insurance industry in Kenya introduced the concept of the No Claims Discount (NCD) in the early 2000 but this concept failed to take off. It promised to reward good drivers with no insurance claims with low prices while punishing high claiming clients. However due to lack of information sharing in the industry and vigorous undercutting, it failed to take off.
It is always advisable to add excess protector for own damage and political violence and terrorism (PVT) cover to the basic comprehensive cover. These normally go for 0.25% each of the value of the car to be insured subject to a minimum of KSh 1,500 each. While these are the most common add-ons, you can check out additional benefits and their prices on a comparison site like www.pesabazaar.com
How To Make a Car Insurance Claim
With the high number of vehicles on the roads, the NTSA statistics reports over 683 people have lost their lives in 2019 as a result of road accidents. Therefore, in case of an accident, don’t panic. Get out of your vehicle and step away from the scene. Do not accept liability of any kind. Wait for the police to arrive and get in touch with your agent/broker. They advise on how to lodge a claim and help you with towing, paper work, accident assessors and garages. It is therefore crucial to have a good agent/broker for when the bad times come.
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