How do you claim life insurance in Kenya?
Tell the insurer as soon as you can, ask whether the policy has a funeral benefit (usually paid within 48 hours), then send the claim form with the death certificate, the policy, IDs and the doctor's or police report. The insurer pays the nominated beneficiary once it has every document; with no nominee, the family needs letters of administration first.
Step by step: a life insurance claim
- Tell the insurer Call, email or visit with the policy number, or ask the agent who sold it to report the death.
- Ask about the funeral benefit Last expense and funeral riders are often paid within 48 hours on the burial permit.
- Get the death certificate The burial permit comes first; the insurer needs the death certificate from the registrar.
- Gather the documents Claim form, policy, IDs, the doctor's statement, and a police abstract and post-mortem after an accident.
- Submit and track Hand in or upload everything together; ask for written acknowledgement.
- Sign the discharge Once the claim is admitted, the beneficiary signs a discharge voucher with bank or M-Pesa details.
- Receive payment The insurer pays the nominee, or the estate's administrators if there is none.
Documents insurers ask for
- The insurer's claim form and claimant's statement
- The original policy document (or an affidavit if lost)
- The death certificate, and the burial permit
- ID or passport of the deceased and of each claimant
- The attending doctor's statement or medical report for an illness
- A police abstract and post-mortem report after an accident
- For a child beneficiary: birth certificate and a guardianship order, unless an adult was appointed
- With no nominee: letters of administration or probate
- Bank or M-Pesa details for payment
How long insurers take to pay
Funeral (last expense) benefits are commonly paid within 48 hours of notification and documents, for example by Old Mutual, CIC, APA and Geminia.
Source: Old Mutual Kenya: Last Expense; CIC; APA Pumzisha; Geminia Life
Madison Life promises to pay claims within 14 days of receiving all documents.
Source: Madison Life Assurance: FAQs
The IRA has referred to a 90-day period for paying claims and began a review in 2024 to shorten it.
The IRA's draft Claims Management Guidelines (October 2025) would make insurers acknowledge a claim within 2 working days and decide within 7 days of the investigation report. They are still a draft.
Source: EY Tax News (11 Feb 2026) on the IRA draft regulations
Nominees, children and estates
Under section 111 of the Insurance Act, a life policyholder can nominate who receives the money on death, in the policy or by an endorsement the insurer registers, and can appoint someone to receive it for a nominee who is a minor.
The High Court has held that nominated life funds pass straight to the nominee, outside the estate and without a grant of representation.
Source: In re Estate of Faith Muita [2016] KEHC 2458 (Kenya Law)
Where a policyholder named a child as nominee but no adult to receive the money, the High Court appointed the child's father to receive it and account to the court every six months.
Source: MMK v Liberty Life Assurance Kenya Ltd [2023] KEHC 19998 (Kenya Law)
Where no beneficiary, appointee or nominee is named, Jubilee Life asks for letters of administration or probate before it pays.
Source: Jubilee Life: Claim Process and Documentation Required
In February 2026 the High Court was reported to have ruled that a KES 22 million group life payout with no nomination on file formed part of the deceased's estate, to be shared under succession law rather than paid out directly.
Source: The Star (13 Feb 2026), reporting the High Court ruling
The single most useful thing a policyholder can do is keep the nomination up to date and name an adult to receive money for children.
Why life claims are declined
- The policy had lapsed for unpaid premiums
- A health condition or habit was not disclosed on the application
- The death falls under an exclusion, such as suicide in the first two years
- The death happened in a waiting period, from natural causes
- Documents are missing or inconsistent
Is the payout taxed?
Kenya has no estate or inheritance duty: the Estate Duty Abolition Act 1982 ended it for deaths on or after 1 January 1982.
Source: Estate Duty Abolition Act 1982
Unclaimed life benefits
In 2025, KES 5.18 billion of unclaimed assets was handed to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, including KES 139 million from insurers; matured policies and death benefits are among them.
Source: Economic Survey 2026, as reported by The Star (6 May 2026)
Tell your beneficiaries which insurer you are with and where the policy is kept.
How Naveah helps at claim time
- We tell the insurer and get the claim forms to your family
- We check the documents before they go in
- We follow up until the money is paid
- If a claim is declined, we take it up with the insurer and, if needed, the Insurance Regulatory Authority
Frequently asked questions
How long does a life insurance claim take in Kenya?
Funeral benefits are usually paid within 48 hours. Insurers that publish a turnaround for the main benefit quote days to two weeks after all documents arrive (Madison 14 days, CIC Keyman 5 days). Missing documents are the most common cause of delay.
What if no beneficiary was nominated?
The money is paid to the estate. The family needs letters of administration (or probate if there is a will) before the insurer pays, and the money is shared under the Law of Succession Act, which can take months.
Can a child receive a life insurance payout?
A child can be the nominee, but the money must be received by an adult on the child's behalf. Name that person when you nominate; otherwise the family may need a court order.
Does my will decide who gets my life insurance?
A nomination registered with the insurer decides it. Without one, the money goes into your estate and is shared by your will or by succession law. Keep your nomination up to date.
Is the payout taxed?
Kenya has no estate or inheritance duty, and a death benefit paid to the family is generally not taxed as their income.
My claim was declined. What can I do?
Ask the insurer for the reason in writing and the policy clause it relies on. If you disagree, complain to the insurer first, then to the Insurance Regulatory Authority. If we placed the policy, we take the case up for you.
How do I find a life policy a relative may have had?
Check their papers, bank statements and M-Pesa for premium payments, and ask their employer about group life. Unclaimed benefits are eventually sent to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority, which you can search.
Need help with a claim?
Tell us the insurer and the policy. If we placed it, we handle the claim with you; if not, we tell you what the insurer will ask for.
Licensed by IRA · No obligation · We reply within 1 hour
Sources (14)
- Britam Life: Life Insurance Claim
- Old Mutual Kenya: Last Expense; CIC; APA Pumzisha; Geminia Life
- Madison Life Assurance: FAQs
- Business Daily (19 Nov 2024), citing the IRA
- EY Tax News (11 Feb 2026) on the IRA draft regulations
- Insurance Act Cap 487, s.111 (Kenya Law)
- In re Estate of Faith Muita [2016] KEHC 2458 (Kenya Law)
- MMK v Liberty Life Assurance Kenya Ltd [2023] KEHC 19998 (Kenya Law)
- Jubilee Life: Claim Process and Documentation Required
- The Star (13 Feb 2026), reporting the High Court ruling
- Britam Life: Individual Life Assurance Application Form 2026
- Britam Life: Tegemeo Protection Plan
- Estate Duty Abolition Act 1982
- Economic Survey 2026, as reported by The Star (6 May 2026)
Facts and published prices checked 28 Oct 2026; last reviewed October 2026 by Naveah Capital. Prices shown are insurers' published starting prices and planning estimates in Kenya shillings; they are not a quote. Naveah Capital Insurance Agency is an IRA-licensed insurance agency in Nairobi; this page is general information, and your policy wording decides your cover.
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