Photo: Tmaokisa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Boda boda and motorcycle insurance in Kenya
What the regulations require
From the NTSA (Operation of Motorcycles) Regulations, 2015, as amended in 2022:
| Vehicle | Minimum insurance |
|---|---|
| Private motorcycle | Third-party cover under Cap. 405 (reg. 5(d)) |
| Motorcycle taxi (boda boda) | Third Party Public Service Vehicle insurance (reg. 5(e)) |
| Three-wheeler / tuk-tuk | Motor commercial public service vehicle insurance (reg. 10(e)); at least Third Party PSV insurance (reg. 11(b)) |
The seller must also supply two helmets and two reflective jackets with a new motorcycle (reg. 4(1)), and a motorcycle taxi operator must report any fatal accident to NTSA within 24 hours (reg. 9B(c)).
Why passengers must be covered
Cap. 405, s.5(b)(ii), lets a private policy exclude people carried on the vehicle — except in a vehicle carrying passengers for hire or reward. A boda boda taking fares is that case. The compulsory cover is capped at KES 3 million per claimant (s.5(b)(iv)).
Before you pay for a policy
What would you like to do now?
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a boda boda need in Kenya?
Third Party Public Service Vehicle insurance, under reg. 5(e) of the NTSA (Operation of Motorcycles) Regulations, 2015. A private motorcycle needs at least ordinary third-party cover.
Are boda boda passengers covered by insurance in Kenya?
They must be: Cap. 405, s.5(b)(ii), requires cover for passengers carried for hire or reward, up to KES 3 million per claimant.