Kenya Reinsurance Corporation

By | July 25, 2019

Kenya Reinsurance Corporation

About Kenya Reinsurance Corporation

Kenya Reinsurance Corporation Limited (Kenya Re) is the oldest Reinsurer in Eastern and Central Africa. It was established through an Act of Parliament in December 1970 and commenced business in January 1971. 
Kenya Re’s core activity is providing reinsurance services for most classes of business.

Since its inception, Kenya Re has progressively and consistently continued to provide reinsurance services to more than 265 companies spread out in over 62 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Our products and services

Background Information

Backed with professionally qualified and Experienced Technical staff, Kenya Re offers Reinsurance and risk management solutions to its clients both locally and internationally.
With our focused tag line, “Strength and Wisdom beyond borders” our reinsurance services are spread out in more than 265 Companies covering 62 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia. 

Kenya Re Non-Life 

“ In addition to offering the traditional non-life…”

Security opinion

To prove our financial strength to our clients, we made efforts to Benchmark our services with International Standards by subjecting ourselves to a rating process by A.M. Best Rating Agency who rated our financial strength at “B+”and an Issuer Credit Rating of BBB-. The outlook for both ratings is stable. We have also been rated by Global Credit Rating Agency “AA” for domestic claim paying ability and BB+ for international claim paying ability.

Our Broad Objective

Focused to increase our Gross Premium by being the best source of Reinsurance with a keen eye to providing International Customer Service Standard and also promote professionalism and Work ethics in the Insurance Industry.

Our Products and services

Kenya Re since inception has provided traditional reinsurance products, developing very competent and experienced technical capacity in writing both Life and Non-life insurance. This allowing us to provide our clients with financially sound risk transfer solutions in all lines of business. In addition to offering the traditional non-life products like fire, accident, liability, motor and life classes, Kenya Re recognizes the changing needs of its clients in the constantly changing world and has invested heavily in research and innovation. We tailor make risk solutions for our individual client needs. We are also keeping in touch with and providing solutions to the emerging risks like cyber and terrorism covers.

Kenya Re offers risk management services to our clients. We organize for major risks to be surveyed in an effort to minimize losses. Where losses have occurred, we assist in claims adjustments. In Risk assessment Kenya Re has both experience and expertise to understand the risks associated with the insurance risks and products. 

We also carry out technical seminars to our clients. We have programmes where we train clients in their respective countries and also invite them over for trainings in Kenya. Our expertise is both in life and Non life business. 

We also do Pricing and Product development.

Currently, we are the Regional Managers for;

  • Organization of East  & Southern Africa Insurers (OESAI)
  • Nation al Bureau of COMESA Yellow card    scheme
  • National Surety for Regional COMESA Transit Guarantee (RCTG)

New products

We do live in a continuously changing world e.g. great economic and demographic forces are at work in our societies, and business is becoming more complex, and customers are becoming risk averse. Change creates demand for insurance products. 

Kenya Re is always alert with the global phenomenon changes and we are actively assessing our client development needs and address this by providing for them up front. 
Following 2007 post elections violent in Kenya, Kenya Re moved fast to provide cover on political risk. 
Demands from our Muslim clients for sharia compliant insurance and investment products has moved us to develop Retakaful, backed with a sharia compliant advisory board. 

Climatic change has led us to Agriculture and Livestock Insurance not forgetting Medical Insurance. In all this our underwriting experts are up to task with competitive pricing.
To support the service delivery, Kenya Re has been structured into departments that are highly specialized on their key areas of focus.

Retakaful

Just like insurance and re-insurance, Takaful policy holders are individuals, businesses and organizations, while those who seek Retakaful services are Takaful business entities. The existence of a handful of Takaful insurance companies in the region resulted in the Retakaful business experiencing a slow take-off. Takaful providers had no choice but to work with conventional reinsurance companies. However, this is now changing after the establishment of Takaful Company of Africa Ltd in Kenya, a fully-fledged Takaful operator. There are now two fully Shariah compliant banks and several commercial banks with Takaful compliant windows. The Corporation works with Gulf African Bank. Our Sharia compliant Retakaful covers are founded on Mutual co-operation, Shared responsibility, Joint indemnity, Common interest and solidarity, Common ownership of assets and Common ownership of risks.

A Sharia Advisory Board was appointed to guide, monitor and supervise the Retakaful business and ensure compliance with Sharia rules and principles. A separate investment structure has been created to ensure compliance in terms of investment vehicles and handling of any surpluses.

Oil and Gas

All eyes are set on East Africa following the discovery of oil in Uganda and Kenya, and discovery of gas along the Mozambique and Tanzanian coast. Kenya has discovered oil in two out of the current 46 gazetted commercial blocks. This will put Kenya in the league of other oil and gas producing countries and form part of the country’s economic activity.

Kenya Re has taken lead in providing reinsurance capacity and technical expertise to both local and the international markets. This improves the product and service component of the local insurers and instills confidence to the investors who in most cases procure oil gas insurance from foreign insurers due to lack of satisfactory local content. The Corporation has put in place a strong retrocession programs to protect its balance sheet against large and catastrophic losses emanating from oils and gas risks which include:-

• Construction Erection “All Risks”

• Delay in Start Up, Operational “All Risks”

• Business Interruption / Operators Extra Expenses

• Sabotage and Terrorism

• Marine Cargo Insurance

• Directors’ and Officers’ Liabilities

• Employers Liability

• General Third Party Liability

• Environmental Impairment Liability

• Automobile Liability.

As a national Reinsurer, Kenya Re has continued to work with the local insurance industry to provide reinsurance cover to the insurance companies that provide insurance cover to major government projects. The Corporation has therefore continued to increase retention capacity thus reducing the need for to purchase reinsurance cover from external reinsurers. This being an emerging risk, the insurance sector has a perfect opportunity to tap into this wealthy resource that is expected to bring economic stability and create employment.

Market Seminars and workshops

We share our knowledge with our clients through scheduled seminars and workshops. These forums also provide us with an opportunity to share our clients’ experiences and needs upon which we use to design products. 

KENYA RE LIFE

We are the leading provider of reinsurance to Life Insurance companies. With specialist knowledge of Life products, we offer tailored and sustainable reinsurance solutions to cedants. We give Coverage for claims, advice Insurers as regards Underwriting, Pricing and Development of New Products.

Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance is the set of processes and organizational structures through which the Board and the Senior Executive manage a company at highest level. 
Kenya Re has embraced the concept of Corporate Governance revolutionizing the management styles for better achievement of the desired results and core value activities in meeting stakeholders’ expectations and requirements. 

Core Values

Our success in Satisfying and sustaining our clients wholly depends upon our commitments and adherence to the organization core values. More on our Core Values

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Stakeholders’ expectations are increasingly focused on how the company performs and behaves in relationship to society or environment, either just locally to its operations or in the wider world.
To meet this recent, but having been in existence and hidden under the carpet phenomenon, Kenya Re has quickly grasped and seen the need to stand out in providing for the society and the environment. A strategy has been put in place that expound on the key parameters to achieve this. 

We have identified those amongst us living with with various disabilities and made them our focus of our current social responsibility, through our ‘NIKO FITI’ campaign. This campaign is aimed at encouraging them to make an independent life despite their shortcomings, giving them dignity and providing them with assistive devises to enable them live normally. More on CSR

Service Charter

Our service charter is the roadmap to our quality and satisfying services to our customers
It is an expression and manifestation of our commitment of providing lasting solutions to our customers and foster close relationship with all our customers within and beyond bounders.

Contact Us

Kenya Reinsurance Corporation Ltd. Head Office

Reinsurance Plaza, Nairobi, Kenya,

Tel: +254 20 2202000, +254 703 083 000, 

Email: kenyare@kenyare.co.ke, or  info@kenyare.co.ke