Nura Kemis 
From left: Britam Connect Head of Operations Norman Gitu, Halima Bashir of Arid Lands Development Focus (ALDEF) and Britam Connect Innovations Officer Churchill Nungo during the Sh20.5 million flood insurance cheque presentation in Tana River County.
- Britam pays KES20.5 million in flood claims to 3,038 Tana River households;
- Satellite river-flow data triggered the payout after severe flooding during Kenya’s long-rains season;
Britam Connect, the inclusive insurance arm of Britam Holdings Plc, has paid KES20.5 million in flood insurance claims to 3,038 households in Tana River County following flooding during the 2026 long-rains season.
The floods displaced over 3,127 families in parts of Tana River County, submerged homes and farms, and disrupted access to essential services.
Many households depend on livestock-keeping, small-scale farming and casual work for income, leaving them particularly exposed when floods interrupt livelihoods.
“Floods can destroy the assets and income families depend on, with consequences that extend well beyond the rainy season.
This payout gives insured households financial support to recover from those losses and prepare for future risks.
Our aim is to make this protection accessible and affordable to communities facing recurring climate shocks,” said Britam Connect CEO Evah Kimani.
The payout, in Sala,Chewele,Madogo wards, was made under Britam Mafuriko, delivered through the Index-Based Flood Insurance (IBFI) project.
The innovation uses satellite imagery, data modelling and predefined river-flow thresholds to determine when a qualifying flood event triggers compensation.
Unlike conventional insurance, it does not require individual loss inspections,allowing payouts to be calculated using recorded river-flow data once the policy threshold is exceeded.
During the long-rains season,Tana River flows in the insured wards reached nearly four times normal levels, exceeding the policy’s trigger.
Because the policy pays against the highest qualifying flood event of the season, the final payout was determined after the March,April to May long-rains season closed and the final river-flow data became available.
Subsequent calculations and beneficiary verification established the compensation due to insured households.
With forecasts pointing to heightened El Niño-related rainfall risks during the October,November to December short-rains season, the current policy runs until February 2027,keeping insured households covered against qualifying flood events.
If river flows exceed the predefined threshold,eligible households may qualify for a further payout, subject to the policy terms.
It’s also helping shift how communities finance their own protection.The majority of households that previously benefited from fully subsidised cover now contribute towards their premiums.
This growing participation points to the potential for insurance to move beyond donor-supported protection towards a model in which households increasingly invest in managing risks they know may recur.
The programme combines this community-level engagement with public-private collaboration to extend financial protection to climate-vulnerable populations.
The IBFI project brings together Britam,Riskshield,ALDEF,Oxfam in Kenya and the County Government of Tana River.
ISF is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with KfW and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management involved in the fund’s implementation and management.
Oxfam supports donor mobilisation,Risk Shield supports product development and monitoring, ALDEF leads on-ground delivery and community engagement,while the County Government of Tana River supports implementation.
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