Third-party motor insurance: what the law requires
Insurance Act · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Nobody may use a motor vehicle on a road without a third-party insurance policy that covers death or injury the vehicle causes to other people. Driving uninsured can mean a fine of up to KSh 10,000, up to two years in jail, or both, plus losing your licence.
- Deadline
- The insurer must have notice of the case before, or within 30 days after, the court case starts.
- Where
- The driver's insurer; the courts for a compensation claim; the Insurance Regulatory Authority for complaints about an insurer
Steps
- If you were injured, make sure the driver's insurer is given notice of your court case before it starts or within 30 days after. Without that notice, the insurer does not have to pay the judgment.
- Once you have a court judgment against the insured driver, the insurer must pay it, even if it says it could cancel or has cancelled the policy.
- If an insurer mishandles your claim, you can complain to the Insurance Regulatory Authority, which protects the interests of policy holders, using the complaint form on its website.
Watch out
- The law does not require cover for passengers, except in vehicles carrying passengers for hire or reward or under a contract of employment, so people riding free in a private car may not be covered.
- Driving uninsured: a fine of up to KSh 10,000, up to two years in jail, or both.
- On top of the fine or jail, an uninsured driver can be disqualified from holding or getting a driving licence.
Who this covers
- Protects anyone killed or injured by the use of an insured vehicle on a road.
- Applies to anyone who uses, or lets someone else use, a motor vehicle on a road.
- Cover need not exceed KSh 3 million per claimant.
Official sources (2)
- Insurance (Motor Vehicle Third Party Risks) Act, No. 12 of 1945 (Cap. 405) new.kenyalaw.org · read 2 Oct 2026
- Lodge a Complaint ira.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026