Boost for Tana River residents as insurer expands flood protection cover to 20,000 households
Britam is expanding its index-based flood cover in Tana River County from 300 to at least 20,000 households, aiming to protect vulnerable families as climate risks and flood threats intensify.
Residents of flood-prone Tana River County are set to benefit from a major expansion of a community-focused flood protection programme from Britam.
The provider has announced that coverage will rise from the initial 300 households to at least 20,000.
The scale-up, more than a 6,000 per cent increase, comes as communities along the lower Tana River continue to grapple with recurring floods that routinely wipe out homes, crops and livelihoods.
Notably, the programme builds on a pilot rolled out after the devastating floods of 2023, which saw 300 affected families receive a total of Sh15 million in payouts.
The expansion is taking place against a backdrop of rising climate risks, with the Kenya Meteorological Department warning of above-average rainfall across several counties during the ongoing short rains season, heightening flood concerns in low-lying areas such as the Tana River.
For many residents, repeated cycles of drought followed by flooding have left families increasingly vulnerable and with few coping mechanisms.
Insurance, seen as the immediate safety net, is still largely beyond the reach of most low-income families.
According to sector data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), overall insurance penetration in Kenya is still below three per cent, with climate-related cover even rarer among rural and marginalised communities.
The programme, flood cover, seeks to bridge this gap by embedding protection directly within communities most exposed to climate shocks.
At the heart of the initiative is an index-based flood insurance model that relies on satellite rainfall data and river-gauge measurements.
Once pre-set flooding thresholds are breached, payouts are triggered automatically, eliminating paperwork and lengthy assessments.
Families also receive flood alerts through a mobile-based early warning system, delivered in partnership with local women’s groups to ensure information reaches households quickly and in familiar channels.
Explaining the broader intent behind the programme, Britam Connect CEO Evah Kimani said the expansion highlights the human dimension of insurance.
“Behind every cover is a person seeking dignity and security in moments of uncertainty,” she said.
“The success of our pilot proved that parametric insurance can provide swift, dignified support to families when floods strike, without the delays of traditional claims processes.”
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Tana River County was among the hardest hit during floods in late 2023 and early 2024, when the river burst its banks twice, affecting more than 10,200 households, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society.
As the programme scales up, communities in the county are expected to be better equipped not only to recover faster after floods, but also to rebuild with greater confidence in an increasingly volatile climate.
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