Motor Insurance
Motor insurance is an annual policy that provides financial protection against losses arising from owning and using a motor vehicle. In Kenya, it is also a legal requirement — every vehicle on a public road must carry at least minimum third-party cover under Cap 405 of the Laws of Kenya.
Beyond legal compliance, motor insurance is one of the most immediately practical protections available. A single accident, theft, or flood event can cost hundreds of thousands of shillings. The right cover converts that unpredictable exposure into a manageable annual premium.
Are you covered for what actually happens on Kenyan roads?
Urban congestion. Potholes. Flash floods. Vehicle theft. Civil unrest. Kenya's road environment presents real daily risks and a minimum TPO sticker does not protect you from most of them.
Legal Compliance
Stay on the right side of Kenyan traffic law — every single day.
Own-Vehicle Protection
Comprehensive cover repairs or replaces your vehicle after an accident, theft, or fire.
Third-Party Liability
If you injure someone in an accident, your legal liability has no cap. Cover absorbs it.
Back on the Road Fast
Insurer-approved garages, fast pre-authorisation, and claims support get you moving again.
"TPO keeps you legal. Comprehensive keeps you protected."
Why Motor Insurance Matters
It is a legal requirement, a financial necessity, and one of the most practical protections available to any Kenyan vehicle owner.
It Is the Law
Every vehicle on Kenyan roads must carry at least Third-Party Only cover under the Insurance (Motor Vehicles Third Party Risks) Act, Cap 405. Driving without valid insurance is a criminal offence carrying fines of up to Kshs. 50,000 and up to one year imprisonment.
Your Vehicle Is a Major Asset
For most Kenyan households, the car is one of the most significant assets owned. Whether for commuting, business, or income generation — protecting it from accidental damage, theft, or fire is financially responsible.
Kenya's Roads Present Real Risk
Urban congestion, potholes, flash floods, and theft in urban centres are daily realities. A single accident or theft event can cost hundreds of thousands of shillings. Insurance converts that exposure into a manageable annual premium.
Third-Party Liability Can Be Unlimited
If you cause an accident that injures or kills another person, your legal liability has no cap. Without cover, compensation, legal costs, and damages fall entirely on you — potentially life-altering sums.
Commercial & Fleet Cover Available
From individual delivery vans and PSV taxis to matatus, fleets, and boda bodas — dedicated commercial vehicle cover is available for every category of vehicle use in Kenya.
Regional Travel Protection
Your Kenyan policy does not extend beyond Kenya's borders. The COMESA Yellow Card extends third-party cover across East and Southern Africa — mandatory at every border crossing.
How It Works
From choosing your cover to getting back on the road after a claim — four steps.
Choose your cover type and add-ons
Select TPO, TPFT, or Comprehensive based on your vehicle's value and your risk appetite. Add extensions like excess protector and PVT cover where relevant.
Get your vehicle valued
For comprehensive cover, your vehicle is valued to establish the correct sum insured. This ensures your premium is accurate and your claim settlement is fair.
Pay your premium and receive your certificate
Once premium is paid, your insurance certificate and sticker are issued. Your cover is active and legally valid from the policy commencement date.
Renew and review annually
Motor insurance is annual. At renewal, review your sum insured against current market value, update your details, and ensure your cover type still matches your actual vehicle use.
The Three Types of Motor Cover
Each offers a different level of protection. The right choice depends on your vehicle's value, your driving environment, and your risk appetite.
Third-Party Only (TPO)
Minimum Legal Requirement
The minimum legal cover required for any vehicle on Kenyan roads. Covers the financial liability you incur towards other people when you cause an accident. Provides no protection for your own vehicle whatsoever.
Covers
- Death or bodily injury caused to a third party
- Damage to third-party property or vehicles
- Legal representation costs for third-party claims
Does Not Cover
- ✕Accidental damage to your own vehicle
- ✕Theft or fire damage to your own vehicle
- ✕Any cost of repairing your own vehicle
Typical Premium
From approx. Kshs. 7,574 per year
Best suited for
Very low-value vehicles where the cost of comprehensive cover exceeds the financial benefit of protecting the vehicle. Not recommended for vehicles with meaningful market value.
Third-Party Fire & Theft (TPFT)
Limited Own-Vehicle Protection
Extends TPO cover to also protect your own vehicle against two specific risks — theft and fire damage. A middle-ground option that sits between TPO and comprehensive.
Covers
- All third-party liabilities included in TPO
- Theft of your own vehicle
- Fire damage to your own vehicle
Does Not Cover
- ✕Accidental damage to your own vehicle
- ✕Windscreen or glass damage
- ✕Personal accident benefit
Typical Premium
Between TPO and Comprehensive rates
Best suited for
Vehicles too old or low-value for comprehensive cover, but where the owner wants at least some protection against theft — a genuine and significant risk in Kenya.
Comprehensive Cover
Full Protection — Recommended
The most complete form of vehicle protection available. Covers all third-party liabilities plus accidental damage, fire, theft, and a range of standard benefits including windscreen, personal accident, and towing and recovery.
Covers
- All TPO third-party liabilities
- Accidental damage to your own vehicle
- Theft and fire damage to your own vehicle
- Windscreen and glass cover
- Personal accident benefit for the driver
- Towing and recovery after an accident
Does Not Cover
- ✕Political violence & terrorism (without PVT extension)
- ✕Cross-border incidents (without Yellow Card)
- ✕Mechanical or electrical failure
Typical Premium
3.5%–6% of vehicle market value (private)
Best suited for
Any vehicle with significant financial value, daily-use vehicles, vehicles on asset finance, and any vehicle that would represent a serious financial loss if written off or stolen.
Vehicle Categories in Kenya
Motor insurance rates and terms are categorized by how the vehicle is used. Selecting the correct category is vital for valid claim processing.
Private Vehicles
Cars, SUVs, and family vehicles used for social, domestic, or own-business purposes.
3.5%–6% of market value (comprehensive)
Note: Standard category for most personal vehicles.
Commercial Vehicles
Pickup trucks, delivery vans, lorries, tippers, and trailers used for cargo.
3%–4% of market value (comprehensive)
Note: Rates vary by use, tonnage, and nature of goods carried.
PSV Taxis & Ride-Hailing
Vehicles used for Uber, Bolt, Little, or any paid passenger transport.
PSV rates + Passenger Legal Liability (PLL)
Note: PLL is mandatory. A private policy does NOT cover commercial use — claims will be declined.
Matatus & Minibuses
PSV vehicles with seating capacity of 8 to 36 passengers.
PSV category rates — higher risk rating
Note: Monthly or annual policy terms available.
Motorcycles (Boda Boda)
Private and commercial motorcycle operators, including PSV boda boda services.
Category-specific rates
Note: Commercial boda cover requires third-party liability and rider personal accident benefit.
Fleet Vehicles
Businesses operating multiple vehicles under a single policy and annual renewal.
Same base structure — potentially competitive per-vehicle rates
Note: Administrative convenience and centralised renewal management.
Cover at a Glance
What each cover type includes
| Benefit | TPO | TPFT | Comp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death or bodily injury to a third party | |||
| Damage to third-party property | |||
| Legal representation costs | |||
| Theft of your vehicle | — | ||
| Fire damage to your vehicle | — | ||
| Accidental damage to your own vehicle | — | — | |
| Windscreen and window glass | — | — | |
| Personal accident benefit (driver) | — | — | |
| Towing and recovery after accident | — | — | |
| Political violence & terrorism (PVT) | — | — | Add-on |
| COMESA Yellow Card (regional) | — | — | Add-on |
Who Is This For?
Critical: Use Matters
Insuring a ride-hailing or commercial vehicle under a private use policy is a material misrepresentation. Insurers are entitled to — and will — decline claims made while the vehicle was being used for a purpose not declared on the policy.
Optional Extensions Worth Knowing
A comprehensive policy can be tailored with add-ons that address specific risks. Two of these are strongly recommended for most policyholders.
Excess Protector
Eliminates the out-of-pocket excess you must pay when making an own-damage claim. Without this, a single claim can require you to contribute Kshs. 5,000–100,000+ before the insurer pays the rest.
Cost
~0.5% of sum insured (min. ~Kshs. 5,000)
Note: Important: The excess protector is consumed when used. It must be repurchased immediately after a claim to remain active for the rest of the policy year.
Political Violence & Terrorism (PVT)
Covers damage to your vehicle from riots, strikes, protests, civil commotion, and acts of terrorism. A standard comprehensive policy explicitly excludes these events. Given Kenya's periodic political events, this is a meaningful gap in base cover.
Cost
~0.5% of sum insured (min. ~Kshs. 5,000)
Note: Particularly recommended for vehicle owners in Nairobi and other urban centres where civil unrest is more likely.
COMESA Yellow Card
Extends your third-party liability cover to COMESA member countries — Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and others. Mandatory at all East African border crossings. Without it, you are personally liable for any accident in that country.
Cost
Charged per day of cross-border travel
Note: Must be arranged before every cross-border journey. Mama Bima can arrange this alongside your main motor policy.
Courtesy Car
Provides access to a temporary replacement vehicle while your car is being repaired following an insured accident. Repairs can take days to weeks — this extension keeps you mobile throughout.
Cost
Available on select comprehensive plans
Note: Particularly valuable for vehicles used daily for commuting, school runs, or business.
Enhanced Personal Accident
Most comprehensive policies do not cover the driver and immediate family due to moral hazard. A personal accident add-on provides compensation for accidental death or permanent disability arising from a vehicle accident.
Cost
Additional premium — varies by insurer
Note: Especially important for the primary driver and for commercial vehicle operators.
What to Do After an Incident
Knowing the claims process before an incident occurs is one of the most practical things you can do. The right steps in the right order make the difference between a smooth settlement and a complicated one.
Do not authorise any repairs before the insurer has assessed the damage. Premature repairs can affect or invalidate your claim.
Stop and secure the scene
Do not abandon the scene. Ensure safety of all people involved and move vehicles out of traffic flow if safe to do so.
Get a police report
For any accident involving injury, death, or significant damage, a police abstract is mandatory and required by your insurer to process the claim.
Notify your insurer immediately
Contact your insurer or Mama Bima as soon as possible. Early notification is a policy requirement — delayed notification can complicate the claim.
Document and submit your claim
Photograph all damage, collect third-party details, complete the claim form, and submit with the police abstract. Do not authorise repairs before insurer assessment.
Risks Motor Insurance Helps Manage
Kenya's roads present real, daily risks. The right cover addresses all of them.
Accidental Damage
Urban congestion and road conditions make minor accidents common. Comprehensive cover absorbs repair costs that would otherwise come entirely from your pocket.
Vehicle Theft
Vehicle theft remains a significant risk in Kenyan urban centres. Comprehensive and TPFT cover ensures you are not left without a vehicle and without recourse.
Third-Party Liability
If you injure or kill a third party, your legal liability is unlimited. TPO cover is the legal minimum — comprehensive cover adds full own-vehicle protection on top.
Political & Civil Events
Riots, protests, and civil unrest have caused real vehicle damage in Kenya. The PVT extension covers events that a standard policy explicitly excludes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Buying on price alone
The cheapest policy may reflect a restricted garage network, slow claims processing, or exclusions only discovered when a claim is made. Compare on price and quality of cover and claims service.
Not adding the excess protector
Many policyholders are surprised by the excess amount required at claim time. The excess protector is a low-cost, high-value add-on that eliminates this out-of-pocket exposure entirely.
Using a private policy for a commercial vehicle
Insuring an Uber, Bolt, or delivery vehicle under a private use policy is a material misrepresentation. The insurer is entitled to decline claims made while the vehicle was being used commercially.
Not reviewing the sum insured at renewal
Vehicle market values change year on year. Under-insuring creates the problem of 'average' — where the insurer proportionally reduces your claim payout to reflect the degree of under-insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Motor Insurance in Kenya.
Real Talk
A TPO sticker keeps you legal. It does not keep you protected.
If your car is damaged, stolen, or written off — TPO pays nothing towards your own vehicle. You carry the entire cost.
Comprehensive cover is not a luxury. For any vehicle with real value, it is the only cover that actually protects you.
Motor insurance in Kenya is regulated by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) under the Insurance Act (Cap 487) and the Insurance (Motor Vehicles Third Party Risks) Act (Cap 405). All motor insurance policies must be issued by a licensed insurance company. Premiums, cover terms, excess amounts, and policy conditions vary by insurer, vehicle type, and individual risk profile. The information on this page is for general guidance only. Please contact Mama Bima Kenya for personalised quotes, cover comparisons, and advice tailored to your specific vehicle and usage requirements.