Our Marine Cargo Insurance Platform is a cloud-based marketplace that enables the purchase and issuance of Marine Cargo Insurance Certificates in minutes. It automates the process of underwriting insurance for your goods thereby affording you the convenience and speed necessary to conduct business in today’s digital world safely and securely.

  • Instant Marine Cargo Insurance Cover: The insurance cover obtained on the platform is effective immediately payment is made and confirmed.
  • Multiple Consignment capabilities: The platform is able to support multiple shipments (e.g. grain, vehicles, pharmaceuticals) that are booked on the same shipping vessel.
  • Universal accessibilty The platform can be accessed online from a desktop computer or from a mobile device at any time from anywhere in the world.
  • Authentic, Secure Insurance Certificates: The Marine Cargo Insurance Certificates produced on the platform are auditable and verifiable. The certificates contain a number of security features including a valid Policy Number from your insurer, a Unique Reference Number and a scannable Quick Reference (QR) code. This security feature makes it extremely difficult to forge or reproduce the certificates issued on the platform.

Practically anyone involved in the logistics and import business, from importers to their suppliers, clearing agents, freight forwarders, insurance intermediaries and the insurers themselves.

The platform allows importers, their agents and their suppliers to secure their goods from anywhere in the world, at any time of day. As an importer, you can use the platform directly or have your insurance agent or broker purchase insurance on your behalf.

The Quick Quote feature allows for your agent or broker to obtain and relay quotations to you at a moment’s notice thereby giving you the opportunity to plan and decide on the most appropriate pricing, timing and choice of insurer for your consignment.

All goods and commodities allowed into the country, over 5,500 specific categories.

Currently the platform accommodates all importable goods listed out on the Kenya Revenue Authority’s East African Community Common Tariff Handbook. However, some categories are subject to underwriter and insurance industry business rules and regulations. If in doubt, please seek more information from your insurance agent or insurance company contact person.

All forms of traditional, mobile and funds transfer modes of payment.

The platform’s payments interface allows users to pay premiums using a variety of payment methods including Mobile Money (MPesa, Airtel Money, YuCash), Bank Transfers on TT, EFT and RTGS, as well as credit cards including Visa and MasterCard.

For Mobile Money payments including MPesa and Airtel Money as well as credit card payments, receipt of payment is acknowledged almost instantaneously and the certificate can be obtained as soon as payment confirmation is received and entered into the payment solution interface.

For RTGS, turnaround time is usually within half an hour while for Telegraphic Transfers and Electronic Funds Transfers, payment confirmation and certificate availability is highly dependent on your bank’s arrangements but should take no longer than 48 hours from the time your authorize the payment transaction.

Clients can charge marine cargo insurance premiums against existing credit facilities with their insurers, also commonly referred to as Open Cover Arrangements. The platform allows for credit/large clients to buy insurance against their credit facilities, once the clients are set up on the platform by their relationship managers. The agreed upon credit terms apply.

You will need to have soft copies of the following documents:

  • Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
  • Commercial Invoice
  • Packing List
  • Import Declaration Form (IDF)
  • Pre-verification Certificate of Compliance (PVCoC)

While the IDF and PVCoC are not mandatory in order to obtain Marine Cargo Insurance on the platform, having and uploading them onto the platform allows for the creation of a virtual repository of all documents relating to a particular consignment thereby providing ample documentation in case of future claims.

The documents can be in any of a wide range of formats including Portable Document Format (PDF), Images (JPEG, PNG, BMP), Microsoft Word Document or other digital and clearly discernible/readable format.

The Platform provides a dashboard tracking all Marine Cargo Insurance transactions and quotes obtained on the platform. The dashboard provides details of Type and Value of Goods Insured, Port of Origin and Destination Date Insured, and Premiums paid. The Platform also retains a copy of the Marine Cargo Insurance Certificate for future reference.

Absolutely.

We utilize a Cloud Services Provider that considers user and data security to be of the highest priority. As a client, you will benefit from a data center and network architecture built to meet the requirements of the most security-sensitive organizations including financial institutions, government agencies and healthcare providers.

Whether at rest or in transit, your documents, data and transactions are handled, transmitted and stored using state of the art encryption and security architecture.

Maintaining customer trust is an ongoing commitment and we strive to inform customers of the privacy and data security policies, practices and technologies that we put in place and continue to upgrade.

No. You need not worry about software installation or upgrades. The Marine Cargo Insurance Platform is hosted entirely online and does not require any software installations or upgrades. Much like with any online e-commerce platform, this also means that at any one time, you are transacting on the most up to date, most secure version of the platform.

Certainly. However, it is advisable to install the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Vivaldi and Internet Explorer 8 or above for a satisfactory experience.

Sure. You can submit a claim using the platform’s claim submission interface. The submission is received, reviewed and one of our agents will get in touch with you to walk you through the claims process at the earliest possible opportunity.

The most common cause for this issue is pop-up blockers stopping the opening of a new tab that will display the certificate. Ensure that you allow pop-ups from our website and all should be fine.

Further, ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader and that all updates have been installed.

If you still encounter problems, kindly report the issue through our Online Issue Reporting tool or call our helpline on +25420 Help Me.

  • Check to ensure that all fields have been completed
  • Ensure that your national ID number and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) PIN are in the correct format i.e. Eight Digits for National ID and a mix of alphabetical and numerical characters for the KRA PIN e.g. A12345678Q
  • To comply with Section 20 of The Insurance Act, Cap. 487, Laws of Kenya
  • To be sure that you have real Marine Cargo Insurance, with a real Marine Insurance Policy and a real Marine Insurance Certificate
  • To regain your freedom from your foreign supplier who also dictates the cost of the goods you buy (Seller’s choice) and how much freight you pay (also Seller’s choice)
  • To have the freedom and the opportunity to choose the best insurance cover for your needs, e.g. from the foreign Port to your warehouse in Kisumu/Eldoret/Nairobi/Kapenguria/Kisii/Meru etc
  • To have the opportunity to negotiate your preferred Insurance Cover rates and extent of cover • To support Kenya’s Insurance Industry, rather than supporting foreign insurance industries
  • For ease of making, following up and settling claims or complaints where you can walk to the offices of a local Insurance Company and speak to them in Swahili or English
Section 20 of The Insurance Act 1987, Cap. 487, Laws of Kenya, Revised 2013, states as follows: (1) “No insurer, broker, agent or other person shall directly or indirectly place any Kenya business other than reinsurance business with an insurer not registered under this Act without the prior approval, whether individually or generally, in writing of the Commissioner”

Section 20 sub-section 4 provides as follows: S.20 (4):

A person who contravenes the provisions of the subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand shillings or to imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both
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Customs officials will require submission of a Marine Cargo Insurance Certificate issued by a Kenyan-registered insurer before your goods can be cleared at customs.

Yes. This will be communicated in the public domain by the State Department of Shipping and Maritime Affairs in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

Cargo ordered before the effective date will not be affected by the new directive.

First, Compliance with the laws of Kenya is mandatory.

Second, it is not always true that pre-negotiated rates with foreign insurers are cheaper or offer better cover than Kenyan marine insurance cover. This can be established by comparison.

Third, Kenyan marine cargo insurance cover is normally Class A (Comprehensive), while normally foreign marine cargo insurance cover either does not exist at all or is a lower, cheaper Class because the foreign Seller naturally maximizes his profit.

The directive by the Cabinet Secretary to the Treasury, in Paragraph 67 of the Budget Speech read on 8th June 2016, which will be effected in The Finance Bill 2016/2017, requires all claims to be settled within 30 days from receipt of a claim. This is good for Kenya.

Yes. One can seek exemption from the Commissioner of Insurance. Also, personal effects are exempted from Section 20 of The Insurance Act.

By submitting a request to the Commissioner of Insurance.

The scope of the cover depends on YOUR choice as an importer.

Marine Cargo Insurance is subject to the Institute Cargo Clauses (ICC) A, B,   C, as well as Inland Transit clauses, which cover risks during transportation over land. Cargo can be covered from (1) Port to Port, (2) Door to Door, or (3) Warehouse to Warehouse, depending on the choice of the importer.

The Institute Cargo Clauses (ICC) are classified into 3 as follows:

  • ICC (A), which provides the maximum cover: It is the most comprehensive, widest cover, covering all risks for partial or total loss of cargo from insured perils, loss or damage or expense (including General Average and Salvage Charges Liabilities), except excluded perils 4,5,6   7.
  • However, with a payment of additional premium, cover for War   SRCC (Strike, Riots and Civil Commotions) perils and perils of transhipments, storing cargo in warehouses and inland transport may be obtained.
  • ICC (B), which covers NAMED or LISTED MARINE PERILS, which are loss of or damage to the cargo due to fire or explosion, vessel or craft being stranded, grounded, sunk or capsized, overturning or derailment of land conveyance, collision of vessel with any external object, discharge of cargo at a point of distress, earthquake, volcanic eruption or lightning and loss or damage to the cargo, caused by general average sacrifice, jettisoning, Washing Overboard, Sea, Lake, River, Water damage and Total Loss of package during loading/unloading. In short, ICC (B) covers wider risks than ICC (C) but less than ICC (A).
  • ICC (C) covers the basic, minimum risk for partial loss of cargo caused by accidental damage to the sea or land vessel as required by INCOTERMS 2010. Risks covered include loss or damage due to Fire and Explosion, Stranding, Sinking, Capsizing, Overturning of a Lorry or train, collision, discharge at a port of distress, total loss of vehicle, general average sacrifice and jettison.
  • However the importer is at liberty to negotiate for more covers which are not stipulated under the ICC depending on the risks attached to the cargo.

What is NOT covered by any of the Institute Cargo Clauses:

  • Wilful misconduct of the Assured.
  • Ordinary leakage/loss in weight.
  • Unsuitable packing.
  • Inherent vice.
  • Delay.
  • Insolvency/financial default.
  • Unseaworthiness of the vessel.
  • Vessel or container.

In Kenya, 35 Insurance companies duly registered by The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) offer Marine Cargo Insurance.

All types of imported cargo must be covered, except personal effects.

  • We build Kenya, not foreign countries.
  • We build Kenya’s insurance industry, not foreign insurance industries.
  • We directly increase Kenya’s insurance industry’s size and profitability, making the industry stronger and better able to offer wider and greater insurance cover.
  • We directly create jobs in the insurance industry
  • We improve Kenya’s insurance industry’s standards in customer service and claims management and settlement necessitated by placing all marine cargo insurance locally.
  • We expand Kenya’s tax revenue base significantly, enabling Government to provide more and better services from a wider tax revenue base.