Car Insurance in Kenya: 5 Helpful Facts You Should Know

March 7, 2021 CAR INSURANCE IN KENYA

According to tradingeconomics.com, the number of new vehicle registrations as of November 2020 was 35,180 units, meaning the demand for car insurance in Kenya that month was higher compared to April of the same year when new car registration was at 9,249 units.

As per laws, all these newly registered cars need to have minimum car insurance in Kenya when using public roads. As a new car owner or a first-time car owner, below are 7 helpful facts you should know. about car insurance in Kenya.

Minimum Car Insurance In Kenya Requirement

For any car to be on any public road, it must have the minimum car insurance in Kenya which is Third Party Insurance. The car owner can also have a comprehensive or a third party, fire, and theft cover as well.

Types of car insurance in Kenya:

1. Third Party Cover

This kind of motor insurance covers you the owner against:

1. Third-party property damage e.g in case you hit another person’s car on the road up to the specified limit in your policy.
2. Third-party bodily injuries e.g in the event to hit a pedestrian or injuring people in the other car in case of an accident up to the amount given by policy.
3. Passengers in your car who are not part of your family up to specific levels as defined by your policy.
4. Your medical expenses are up to the specified limit of your cover.

You can read more on the levels of compensation here.

This cover does not however cover:

1. Theft of vehicle
2. Fire
3. Accidental damage
4. Your family
5. Plus all other exclusions as stated in the policy document.

2. Third Party, Fire and Theft Insurance

Just as the name suggests, covers all third-party liabilities as stated above plus fire and theft. However, fire as a result of mechanical and electrical failure is not covered.

The cover will not cover:

1. Accidental damage to your car
2. Injury to family
3. Fire due to electrical or mechanical breakdown.
4. All other stated exclusions in your policy document.

3. Comprehensive Insurance

Under comprehensive car insurance Kenya covers all the areas covered under the third party, fire, theft, and accidental damage as described by your policy document.

Comprehensive car insurance in Kenya comes with the option of adding other benefits such as excess protection, political violence and terrorism cover, windscreen and window glass cover, radio cassette, and entertainment system just to mention a few. An article discussing all these benefits is coming up soon.

1. Electrical and mechanical failure
2. Wear and tear
3. Competitive racing
4. All stated exclusions are as per your policy document.

Car Insurance In Kenya: Deciding Level of Cover

Once you have identified which of the above-discussed types of cover the next issue will be determining what level of cover to take. Some of the things to take into consideration include:

1. Age of car: Comprehensive car insurance in Kenya is provided for cars below 15 years years. This varies from company to company many being within 12-15 years old. All cars qualify for third-party insurance in Kenya.
2. Type of car: Some cars depending on insurance companies can only be given third-party insurance or higher comprehensive premiums due to the risk associated with such cars. This varies from one insurance company to another.
3. Budget: Your budget will decide on what level of cover to have and what want benefits to add. The more benefits the higher the premium.
4. Usage: The use of the vehicles also determines insurance premiums payable: Private cars have lower premiums compared to PSV and other commercial vehicles.
5. Age and experience of the driver: A younger owner or driver pays more premiums or has an excess of young and novice drivers attached as a term to the cover

Car Insurance In Kenya: Valuation and What to Expect

A valuation can be done by the client at their own cost of taking their third party, fire, and theft covers. For comprehensive insurance, the insurance company pays for the valuation, and for some, the bill of valuation is split between the insurer and the owner.

In most cases, the insurance company will have a list of preferred valuers to which the client will be required to go to. Depending on the location of the client and the insurance company’s arrangement with the valuer, the valuer can come to you.

The valuation is done on the market value of the car. Always ensure you have an idea of the going rate of such kind of car in the market at all times. In the event of over-valuation or under-valuation, raise the issue immediately with your agent or insurance company and they will advise you on steps to take to correct that.

When going for valuation, ensure you carry:

1. Copy of logbook
2. Copy of ID
3. Copy of KRA pin

Car Insurance in Kenya: Your Insurance Certificate

All car insurance certificates in Kenya are now issued digitally and in soft copy directly to your email or via Whatsapp.

Print your car insurance certificate in color, and attach it to the left, upper side of your windscreen. Always ensure you have a copy of the soft copy so that in the event the current one fades out or is damaged by water, you can easily replace it.

Car Insurance in Kenya: In the event of an Accident

The whole purpose of insurance is tested when an accident happens. As a first-time car owner, you might not know what to do in the event of an accident. In the event of an accident:

1. Examine the extent of damage to your vehicle and any other vehicle involved.
2. Evaluate if there are any injuries
3. In case of major injuries, damage, and fatal accidents, call the police immediately and call for an ambulance.
4. If the accident is minor, move the vehicle off the road and discuss the way forward with the other person.
5. Take photos and videos of the accident scene
6. Notify your insurance agent/insurance company
7. Do not admit liability! Even expressing “I’m so sorry” to the other party can be seen as an admission of liability.
8. We understand that an accident is stressful. Therefore we ask that you do not get angry as this might escalate the issue. If you find yourself getting angry, breathe in and out, and count 1 to 100. Always remember, the property can be replaced.
9. Once reported to the police and investigations are done, major accident incidence should be referred to insurance.
10. Your insurance agent or company will advise the Claim procedure.

We at Amssurity Insurance Agency aim to provide you with the best car insurance in Kenya by providing an easy, no-drama quotation process from our partners, advice, education, and support when needed.

You can reach us on 0762 065 500, on-call or WhatsApp, and online, on Facebook or Twitter. @Amssurrity to get the latest information on the price of comprehensive car insurance. As we discussed your motor insurance you can get one month of car insurance Kenya