Photo: Gwamaka Charles., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Home and property insurance in Kenya
Home insurance in Kenya: what a domestic package covers
Short answerChecked 23 September 2026
Home insurance is optional in Kenya — no law makes it compulsory for a private home. A domestic package usually covers the building, its contents and portable items (all risks), and can include liability to domestic workers. Once you have given all documents, the insurer must pay a claim within 90 days (Insurance Act s.203).
What to compare
- Building: insure the cost of rebuilding, not the market price of the house.
- Contents: list valuable items; many policies limit any single item.
- All risks: phones, laptops and jewellery away from home are only covered if added.
- Domestic workers: employers of domestic staff have WIBA duties — ask whether the package covers them (see business insurance).
- Burglary conditions: forced entry, grilles, alarms, guards.
- Excess per claim.
Check the insurer on the IRA list and read the exclusions before you pay.
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Frequently asked questions
Is home insurance compulsory in Kenya?
No. A lender may require building cover on a mortgaged house.
How long does a Kenyan insurer have to pay a home claim?
90 days from the claim being reported once all documents are provided, extendable by 30 days (Insurance Act s.203).