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

Britam Insurance Kenya, with support from FSD Africa, developed and piloted a flood insurance product in Tana River County to mitigate climate risks for vulnerable households. Following heavy rains between October and December 2023, 300 families received total payouts of Kshs. 47,000 each, totaling Kshs. 15 million. The pilot demonstrated a demand for such products, with over 70% of surveyed households in flood-prone areas expressing willingness to invest in insurance. Britam is now scaling the project in partnership with the Tana River County Government to reach 20,000 families and is exploring a separate proof of concept for urban flood risks in Kisumu.

• Between November 2023 and February 2024, 300 insured families in Tana River County received total payouts of Kshs. 47,000 each, totaling Kshs. 15 million. These payments were disbursed in four batches: Kshs. 12,100 in November, a similar amount in December, Kshs. 22,800 in February 2024, and Kshs. 3,000 in April 2024.
• A feasibility study conducted between 2022 and 2023 across Tana River, Kilifi, and Kisumu Counties found that more than 70% of respondents were willing to invest in flood insurance or compensation schemes, with nearly all willing to pay monthly premiums of up to Kshs. 500.
• The pilot project was supported by Oxfam Kenya, which purchased a one-year policy cover for 300 families in September 2023. Due to subsidies, 75% of the benefiting families were headed by youth, persons with disability, or females.
• Britam is scaling the initiative through a partnership with the Tana River County Government to enroll up to 20,000 families. The company also intends to develop a different proof of concept for Kisumu, as urban flood risks differ from those in Tana River.
• To ensure the long-term sustainability of the insurance product, Britam advocates for an integrated approach combining insurance with physical risk reduction, such as dredging, constructing reservoirs, land-use planning, and resettling families away from rivers.

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} }