NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenyan government has tightened entry requirements for insurers seeking to provide mandatory medical cover to foreign visitors, setting a minimum gross written premium of Sh2 billion as part of a new regulatory framework governing inbound travel health insurance.
The conditions are contained in the newly approved Administrative Framework for the Mandatory Inbound Travel Health Insurance Program, which will require all international arrivals staying in Kenya for less than one year to hold valid medical insurance in line with the Social Health Insurance Act of 2023.
Under the framework, eligible insurers must also demonstrate financial strength by providing evidence of having paid at least Sh50 million in claims over the past two years, alongside a client portfolio that includes at least five reputable customers, each contributing premiums of no less than Sh100 million in the previous financial year.
In addition, insurers will be required to show they have a nationwide medical network capable of serving visitors across all 47 counties.
“The local insurance company shall be required to have a gross written premium of over Sh2 billion in Kenya and demonstrate evidence of having an extensive panel of medical providers in all 47 counties,” the Ministry of Health said in the approved framework.
Impact on insurers
Data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) indicates that most general insurance firms met the Sh2 billion premium threshold in the year ended December 2024.
However, several short-term insurers — including Corporate Insurance, Kenya Orient, Pioneer, Takaful Insurance of Africa, and Monarch Insurance — fell below the benchmark, potentially locking them out of the lucrative visitor cover market.
Kenya’s move aligns it with a growing number of countries that require inbound travellers to maintain health insurance, although implementation has been delayed for more than a year amid procurement disputes.
Tender setbacks and industry pushback
Efforts to appoint insurers stalled late last year after the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services floated a restricted, multi-billion-shilling tender in December 2024.
The procurement process was cancelled a month later after the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority flagged violations of procurement laws.
The Association of Kenyan Insurers protested the tender, citing concerns over transparency and the criteria used to select firms eligible to bid.
Leading medical insurers have since signalled plans to form a consortium to compete once the government revises the tender structure.
Under the approved framework, the government will select both the insurance provider and product through a designated tender, with the aim of ensuring seamless coverage for all visitors entering the country.
Rising visitor numbers
Demand for the mandatory insurance is expected to grow alongside Kenya’s rebounding tourism sector.
International arrivals rose 14.6 per cent to 2.39 million in 2024, up from 2.09 million in 2023, and increased by a further 5.3 per cent to 1.88 million in the first nine months of 2025.
The framework is expected to play a key role in protecting the public health system from unpaid medical bills while offering visitors guaranteed access to healthcare during their stay.
