Photo: Bahnfrend, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0WIBA and WIBA Plus in Kenya
What the law requires and what WIBA Plus adds
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WIBA: the cover the law requires
From the Work Injury Benefits Act, 2007:
- Every employer must obtain and maintain an insurance policy, with an approved insurer, for any liability it may incur under the Act to its employees (s.7(1)).
- An "accident" means one arising out of and in the course and scope of the employee's employment and resulting in personal injury (s.2). The employer pays compensation to an employee injured while at work (s.10(2)).
- The journey to or from work counts only when the employee travels in a vehicle provided by the employer for carrying employees (s.10(5)).
- The employer pays reasonable medical, dental, hospital, nursing and medicine costs after a work accident (s.47).
- An employee cannot sue the employer for damages for a work accident: compensation is paid under the Act (s.16).
How WIBA compensation is calculated, the reporting deadlines (DOSH 1) and the penalties for an uninsured employer are in our WIBA insurance guide.
WIBA Plus: what insurers say it adds
WIBA Plus is a commercial name, not a legal category, so read each insurer's wording. Three IRA-licensed general insurers describe their product on their own pages (IRA licensed entities 2026); quoted as their own statements, seen 21 October 2026, not ranked:
| Insurer (as licensed by IRA) | Product name | What its page says |
|---|---|---|
| Madison General Insurance Kenya | WIBA Plus | "A 24 hours policy that covers accidental bodily injury sustained during or outside normal working hours"; its WIBA page calls it a policy "that combines WIBA and the Group Personal Accident (GPA) policy" (WIBA Plus, WIBA) |
| Sanlam Allianz General Insurance (Kenya) | WIBA Plus (GPA/WIBA) | "Extends coverage beyond the standard WIBA policy, providing protection 24 hours a day" — employees "covered whether they are on duty or off duty" against accidental bodily injury, disablement, death or occupational illness (page) |
| GA Insurance Limited | WIBA Enhanced | Cover for injury by accident or disease in the course of employment, "further enhanced to provide round the clock cover even when out of duty" (page) |
None of the three pages publishes a premium (seen 21 October 2026): the price is quoted on your payroll, staff numbers and job functions — Sanlam Allianz's quote form asks for exactly those.
WIBA vs WIBA Plus side by side
| WIBA | WIBA Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory? | Yes, for every employer (WIBA s.7) | No — an optional insurer product |
| Accident at work | Covered (s.2, s.10) | Covered (it includes WIBA) |
| Accident off duty, at home or on a weekend | Not covered: Madison's WIBA policy excludes "any accidental death or injury occurring outside the normal working hours" | Covered, as Madison, Sanlam Allianz and GA describe it |
| Commute in your own transport | Not deemed work time (s.10(5) covers only an employer-provided vehicle) | Covered as a 24-hour accident cover, subject to the wording |
| Satisfies the law? | Yes | Yes, because it contains the WIBA policy |
Check the limits before you sign
An insurer's WIBA policy sets its own benefit limits. Madison's WIBA page, for example, lists: death and permanent total disablement at 96 months' earnings, temporary total disablement at weekly earnings for 52 weeks, medical expenses KES 100,000, funeral expenses KES 30,000 and occupational illness KES 4,000,000 (Madison, seen 21 October 2026). It also excludes employees under 18 and pre-existing conditions not declared.
- Medical limit vs the law: section 47 makes the employer pay reasonable medical costs after a work accident, with no amount in the Act. Ask the insurer what happens above the policy's medical limit — that part could fall back on you.
- Off-duty benefits: in a WIBA Plus policy, the off-duty part works like group personal accident cover; ask for its own benefit table (death, disablement, medical) and whether it is lower than the on-duty WIBA benefits.
- Who is insured: casual staff, domestic workers and new hires — ask how the policy picks them up and when you must declare the payroll.
- Exclusions: Madison says the WIBA Plus exclusions are similar to those of its WIBA and group personal accident policies — get them in writing.
Other covers people confuse with WIBA: a personal accident policy you buy for yourself, and the employer-side rules compared across the region in work-injury cover in East Africa.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WIBA and WIBA Plus?
WIBA is the compulsory work-injury policy under section 7 of the Work Injury Benefits Act and covers accidents arising out of and in the course of employment. WIBA Plus is an insurer product that adds group personal accident cover, so employees are also covered off duty, 24 hours a day.
Is WIBA Plus compulsory in Kenya?
No. The law requires WIBA cover (s.7). WIBA Plus is optional; because it includes the WIBA policy, it also meets the legal requirement.
Does WIBA cover accidents on the way to work?
Only when the employee travels in a vehicle the employer provides to carry employees (s.10(5)). A commute by matatu or in your own car is not covered by that rule; a 24-hour WIBA Plus cover is one way employers insure that risk.
Which insurers sell WIBA Plus in Kenya?
Among others, Madison General Insurance and Sanlam Allianz General Insurance publish a WIBA Plus page, and GA Insurance sells the same idea as WIBA Enhanced (seen 21 October 2026). Ask any IRA-licensed general insurer or broker for a quote.
How much does WIBA Plus cost?
None of these insurers publishes a price: the premium is quoted on your payroll, number of employees and their job functions. Compare at least two written quotes with their benefit tables.
Sources
- Work Injury Benefits Act, 2007 (consolidated to 31 December 2022) — s.2 ("accident"), s.7, s.10, s.16 and s.47 — Kenya Law (Web Archive copy)
- Madison General Insurance Kenya — Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) policy page: benefits and exclusions (insurer's own page, seen 21 October 2026)
- Madison General Insurance Kenya — WIBA Plus policy page (insurer's own page, seen 21 October 2026)
- Sanlam Allianz General Insurance Kenya — WIBA Plus (GPA/WIBA) page (insurer's own page, seen 21 October 2026)
- GA Insurance Kenya — WIBA Enhanced Insurance page (insurer's own page, seen 21 October 2026)
- IRA Kenya — Licensed Entities 2026 (notice under section 184 of the Insurance Act, dated 30 March 2026)