How long an insurer has to pay your claim
Insurance Act · sources read 5 Oct 2026
Once you have handed in all the relevant documents, your insurer must accept or deny liability, work out the amount and pay the claim within 90 days of the claim being reported, or within 90 days of a court's decision on liability. If it cannot, it must ask the Commissioner of Insurance, who can extend the time by at most 30 days.
- How long
- 90 days from when the claim is reported (or from a court's decision on liability), plus at most 30 days if the Commissioner allows an extension.
- Deadline
- Insurer must decide and pay within 90 days of the claim being reported.
- Deadline
- Any extension from the Commissioner is at most 30 days.
- Where
- Your insurer first; complaints to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (online form or complaints@ira.go.ke)
Steps
- Hand in all the documents your insurer needs for the claim and keep proof of the date you reported it. The 90-day clock is tied to this.
- If an assessor looked at your claim, ask for a copy of the assessment report. The law says you must get it.
- If the insurer misses the deadline, complain to the Insurance Regulatory Authority using its online complaint form.
- You can also email your complaint to complaints@ira.go.ke.
Watch out
- An insurer cannot take on a risk until it has received the premium, so cover does not start before you pay.
- The 90-day rule does not apply to micro-insurance or index-based insurance claims.
- A late insurer owes a penalty of 5% of the unpaid amount, collected by the Policyholders Compensation Fund Board under the Act.
Who this covers
- Anyone claiming under an insurance policy, once they have submitted all the relevant documents.
Official sources (3)
- Insurance Act (Cap. 487) new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Lodge a Complaint ira.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- IRA Online Portal - Contact Us online.ira.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026