Concerns have emerged regarding the claims settlement procedures by leading Pan-African tailored risk management solutions provider, Sanlam Kenya , particularly from insured clients operating ride-hailing and commercial vehicles.
These reports point to a notable disparity between the official repair cost assessments conducted by the insurer and the actual compensation amounts disbursed, a gap that has sown dissatisfaction and mistrust among policyholders.
Speaking to this publication, one of the affected clients shared a detailed account of their experience, revealing a troubling pattern of unilateral reductions and unexplained deductions that undermine the value of their insurance coverage. Policyholders insured by Sanlam Kenya, particularly those operating commercial and ride-hailing vehicles, describe experiences of substantial reductions in claims payouts, inconsistent valuations, and a lack of communication that has led to financial strain and calls for regulatory review.
The individual, who requested anonymity, explained that their vehicle, a Toyota Passo, was subject to an official damage assessment valuing repairs at Ksh 154,860, inclusive of parts, labour, and VAT but the final settlement offer presented by the insurer's claims intermediary dropped the compensation to Ksh 20,500 after deducting an excess of Ksh 75,000 and excluding VAT altogether.
This was a figure markedly lower than both the initial valuation and an independent garage quotation they had submitted.
The policyholder further expressed frustration that the garage providing the repair estimate, Brothermans Motors Enterprises, was never contacted by the insurer for price verification or justification, effectively sidelining the client’s preferred service provider and denying them the opportunity to clarify the charges.
This omission, they argued, not only diminished the scope of repairs to essential parts but also eliminated legitimate services such as full-body polishing and primer application, which the client deemed necessary for safety and quality.
With this shortfall in compensation, the policyholder explained that the financial burden shifted heavily onto them, contradicting the fundamental purpose of insurance as a risk-sharing mechanism.
In light of these developments, the victim has formally submitted a detailed complaint to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) urging a reassessment of the payout to better reflect either the insurer’s own valuation or the independent garage’s estimate, as well as requesting direct communication between the insurer and the repair service to reconcile discrepancies. "Hello Cyprian. I would like you to expose Sanlam General Insurance for their exploitive tactics to reduce the claims payable to the insured Uber vehicles. I have done an email to them copied to the IRA below. You'll understand the context from there. Plus generally all insurance companies in Kenya only pay 50% claim and introduced an excess payable which makes the insured Uber vehicles suffer a lot in case of accident." View document