Tulinde
Kenya

Tulinde in 13 countries

Licensed insurance companies in Kenya

Insurance companies in Kenya 2026

The full list of the 59 licensed by IRA — insurers, brokers, agents

Insurers & your rights3 min read · Reviewed on by the Tulinde editorial team · how we check facts

Short answerChecked 28 October 2026
The licensed insurance companies in Kenya for 2026 are on IRA's list of licensed entities dated 30 March 2026: 22 long-term (life) insurers, 35 general insurers and 5 micro-insurers — 59 companies, because Kenindia, The Kenyan Alliance and The Monarch hold both a life and a general licence. The same notice licenses 181 insurance brokers; individual agents are not in it but in IRA's online registry. Only a licensed insurer can legally sell you a policy in Kenya.
Compare quotes in Kenya

Free, no obligation. Only insurers and brokers licensed by IRA Kenya receive your request.

Get free quotes

Your situation is different? Ask.

Answers come from the law, the regulator and the insurers' own documents, with the source under each answer. General information, not advice.

What should I check before I buy cover?What is an excess?How do I prepare a claim?
On this page · 5 sections
  1. How many insurance companies are in Kenya in 2026
  2. IRA licensed agents and brokers in 2026
  3. How to check a company, broker or agent
  4. FAQ
  5. Sources

How many insurance companies are in Kenya in 2026

Counted from IRA's notice under section 184 of the Insurance Act, dated 30 March 2026 (full notice):

Licensed asNumber in 2026What they do
Long-term (life) insurers22Life, education, pension, group life and credit life policies
General insurers35Motor, medical, property, WIBA, travel and other classes
Micro-insurers5Micro-insurance (class 13)
Reinsurers5They insure the insurers; they do not sell to the public
Insurance brokers181They place your policy with an insurer
Reinsurance brokers25They place reinsurance for insurers
Medical insurance providers32Intermediaries licensed as medical insurance providers
Bancassurance intermediaries23Insurance sold through banks
Motor assessors118They assess vehicle damage for claims
Insurance investigators101They investigate claims
Loss adjusters41They adjust non-motor losses
Insurance surveyors24They survey risks
Risk managers12Risk management for insured businesses
Claims settling agents9They settle claims on behalf of insurers

Of the 35 general insurers, three are licensed only for medical business (class 12): Bupa Global Insurance, Equity Health Insurance and Jubilee Health Insurance. In all, 25 of the 35 general insurers are authorised for the medical class — see health insurance in Kenya.

IRA licensed agents and brokers in 2026

Brokers are named one by one in the 2026 notice, each with a licence number in the form IRA/06/…/2026. Agents — the people and agencies who sell for an insurer — are not printed in the notice: search them by name or licence number in IRA's registry of licensed entities, which also covers brokers, bancassurance agents, medical insurance providers, loss adjusters and motor assessors.

Before paying an agent you do not know: ask for their IRA licence number, look it up in the registry, and pay the insurer (a paybill or bank account in the insurer's name) rather than a personal number. A motor certificate must then verify on DMVIC.

How to check a company, broker or agent

  1. Look for the insurer in the list below, or open IRA's 2026 notice.
  2. For a broker, agent, bancassurance agent or medical insurance provider, search IRA's registry of licensed entities.
  3. For a motor certificate, dial *352# to check it is genuine (see how to read a DMVIC check).
  4. In doubt, call IRA on the toll-free line 0800 724 499.

A licence says nothing about size: to see which insurers write the most premium, read the largest insurance companies in Kenya; for the complaints IRA received about each, complaints by company; to put two side by side, compare two insurers.

The list: 59 licensed insurers in Kenya

As published by the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Kenya — Licensed Entities 2026 (notice dated 30 March 2026). Names are reproduced as the regulator lists them. Being on this list means a company is licensed; it is not a rating or a recommendation.

Long-term (life) insurers 22

  • ABSA Life Assurance Kenya Limited
  • APA Life Assurance Limited
  • Britam Life Assurance Company (K) Limited
  • Cannon Life Assurance (K) Limited
  • Capex Life Assurance Company Limited
  • CIC Life Assurance Limited
  • Equity Life Assurance (Kenya) Limited
  • GA Life Assurance Limited
  • Geminia Life Insurance Company Limited
  • ICEA LION Life Assurance Company Limited
  • Jubilee Life Insurance Limited
  • Kenindia Assurance Company Limited
  • Kenya Orient Life Assurance Limited
  • Liberty Life Assurance Kenya Limited
  • Madison Life Assurance Kenya Limited
  • Old Mutual Life Assurance Kenya Limited
  • Pioneer Assurance Company Limited
  • Prudential Life Assurance Kenya Limited
  • Sanlam Allianz Life Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • Star Discover Life Insurance Limited
  • The Kenyan Alliance Insurance Company Limited
  • The Monarch Insurance Company Limited

General insurers 35

Kenindia Assurance, The Kenyan Alliance Insurance and The Monarch Insurance hold both a long-term and a general licence, so they appear in both lists.

  • AAR Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • Africa Merchant Assurance Company Limited
  • APA Insurance Limited
  • Britam General Insurance Company (K) Limited
  • Bupa Global Insurance Limited
  • Cannon General Insurance Company Limited
  • CIC General Insurance Limited
  • Definite Assurance Company Limited
  • Directline Assurance Company Limited
  • Equity General Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • Equity Health Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • Fidelity Shield Insurance Company Limited
  • First Assurance Company Limited
  • GA Insurance Limited
  • Geminia Insurance Company Limited
  • ICEA LION General Insurance Company Limited
  • Intra Africa Assurance Company Limited
  • Jubilee Health Insurance Limited
  • Kenindia Assurance Company Limited
  • Kenya Orient Insurance Limited
  • Madison General Insurance Kenya Limited
  • Mayfair Insurance Company Limited
  • MUA Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • NCBA Insurance Company Limited
  • Occidental Insurance Company Limited
  • Old Mutual General Insurance Kenya Limited
  • Pacis Insurance Company Limited
  • Pioneer General Insurance Limited
  • Sanlam Allianz General Insurance (Kenya) Limited
  • Star Discover Insurance Limited
  • Takaful Insurance of Africa Limited
  • Tausi Assurance Company Limited
  • The Heritage Insurance Company Limited
  • The Kenyan Alliance Insurance Company Limited
  • The Monarch Insurance Company Limited

Micro-insurers 5

  • APA Microinsurance Limited
  • Birdview Micro Insurance Limited
  • Britam Microinsurance Company (K) Limited
  • CIC Microinsurance Limited
  • Turaco Microinsurance Limited
Reinsurers do not sell to the public and are not listed above: Continental Reinsurance, East Africa Reinsurance, Ghana Reinsurance Company (Kenya), Kenya Reinsurance Corporation and WAICA Reinsurance (Kenya). The same notice also licenses brokers, agents, medical insurance providers and other intermediaries — search them on the IRA registry.

Insurer profiles in Kenya

The main insurance groups, with every licensed company behind the brand and where else it is licensed.

Already insured?

Check my motor certificateUnderstand my policyPrepare a claim

Next step

1. Find the cover that fits2. Get free quotes

Frequently asked questions

How many insurance companies are there in Kenya in 2026?

22 long-term (life), 35 general and 5 micro-insurers are licensed for 2026. Three hold both a life and a general licence, so 59 companies in all, plus 5 reinsurers.

How many insurance brokers are licensed in Kenya in 2026?

181 insurance brokers, plus 25 reinsurance brokers, in IRA's notice dated 30 March 2026.

Where can I find IRA licensed agents for 2026?

In IRA's online registry of licensed entities (ira.go.ke/entities-registry), searchable by name or licence number. Agents are not printed in the yearly notice, which lists insurers, brokers and other intermediaries.

How do I verify that an insurance company is licensed in Kenya?

Find its exact legal name in the 2026 list on this page or in IRA's notice, check an intermediary in IRA's registry, and for motor cover verify the certificate on *352# or verify.dmvic.com. In doubt, call IRA on 0800 724 499.

Is a company on this list recommended by Tulinde?

No. The list shows who is licensed, in alphabetical order. It is not a rating.

Sources

  1. IRA Kenya — Licensed Entities 2026 (notice under section 184 of the Insurance Act, dated 30 March 2026)
  2. IRA Kenya — Licensed Entities 2026, full notice of 30 March 2026: insurers, reinsurers, brokers, medical insurance providers, bancassurance intermediaries, motor assessors and others (Web Archive copy of 15 May 2026)
  3. IRA Kenya — registry of licensed entities (brokers, agents, medical insurance providers…)
  4. IRA Kenya — insurers and reinsurers: licence classes and minimum capital
Independent: Tulinde is not an insurer and does not rank insurers.How we make moneyEditorial policyWho we are

Regulator in Kenya: IRA Kenya

Free quotes in KenyaAskGet quotes