BRITAM PAYS 300 TANA RIVER FAMILIES KSHS.15 MILLION FLOOD INSURANCE: THE FIRST EVER IN KENYA

This case study describes the development and pilot of Kenya's first private-sector flood insurance product, created by Britam Insurance Kenya with support from FSD Africa. The project targeted vulnerable households in Tana River County, providing payouts to 300 families following heavy rains between October and December 2023.

• Britam Insurance Kenya, supported by FSD Africa, developed the first private-sector flood insurance product in Kenya to mitigate flood risk in underserved areas. The project progressed from a feasibility study (2022-2023) involving 251 households and 16 stakeholders in Tana River, Kilifi, and Kisumu Counties to a proof-of-concept pilot in Tana River County.
• During the pilot phase, Oxfam Kenya purchased one-year insurance policies for 300 families in Tana River County in September 2023. Between November 2023 and February 2024, each insured family received a total payout of Kshs.47,000, distributed in four batches (November, December, February 2024, and April 2024), totaling Kshs.15 million for the group.
• The pilot demonstrated that the product is relevant for the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly those in Tana River County where 62% of the approximately 350,000 residents live in abject poverty. To manage the financial risk of the pilot, Swiss Re reinsured 80% of the business.
• Britam is now scaling the project through a partnership with the Tana River County Government to enroll up to 20,000 families. The company emphasizes that insurance must be part of an integrated approach including riverbank strengthening, land-use planning, dredging, and early warning systems to ensure long-term sustainability.

APA

FSD Africa (n.d.). BRITAM PAYS 300 TANA RIVER FAMILIES KSHS.15 MILLION FLOOD INSURANCE: THE FIRST EVER IN KENYA. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Flood-Risk-Investment-Institutional-story_Final.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. BRITAM PAYS 300 TANA RIVER FAMILIES KSHS.15 MILLION FLOOD INSURANCE: THE FIRST EVER IN KENYA. n.d. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Flood-Risk-Investment-Institutional-story_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=BRITAM PAYS 300 TANA RIVER FAMILIES KSHS.15 MILLION FLOOD INSURANCE: THE FIRST EVER IN KENYA |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Flood-Risk-Investment-Institutional-story_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafricandbritam, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{BRITAM PAYS 300 TANA RIVER FAMILIES KSHS.15 MILLION FLOOD INSURANCE: THE FIRST EVER IN KENYA}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Flood-Risk-Investment-Institutional-story_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }