Nanyuki, Kenya: 18 March 2026 - The Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has stepped up its nationwide consumer education, stakeholder engagement and public awareness efforts by taking the Bima Mashinani programme to Laikipia County. This is in line with IRA’s commitment to building an insurance-literate and well-protected Kenyan society.
The week-long sensitization exercise, conducted at Laikipia University and the County Government Hall in Nanyuki Town between 16th and 20th March 2026, reached more than 370 residents from across the county. Participants included journalists, matatu and boda boda operators, traders, farmers, youth groups and persons with disabilities (PWDs), among other community stakeholders.
Bima Mashinani initiative focuses on general insurance awareness, risk management, understanding IRA’s mandate, various insurance products and procedures for making claims, among other key insurance education needs. The programme is designed to strengthen participants’ knowledge of insurance and empower them to make informed financial decisions, safeguarding both their livelihoods and business ventures.
Participants from diverse backgrounds took part in engaging sessions addressing risk identification, foundational concepts of insurance and practical applications relevant to everyday life and enterprise. During the sessions, IRA facilitators underscored the importance of risk awareness and encouraged participants to adopt proactive measures to safeguard their assets and income.
The presentations also addressed a major regional challenge of low insurance uptake, particularly among the youth. Many attendees reported limited familiarity with available insurance products and expressed concerns stemming from previous experiences related to claims settlement.
Laikipia County, which is predominantly reliant on livestock rearing, remains an underserved insurance market, with penetration largely driven by initiatives such as livestock insurance programmes. This underscores the critical need for targeted consumer education to bridge existing knowledge gaps.
The training was characterised by a high level of engagement, with participants raising pertinent questions on access, trust, claims procedures and IRA’s efforts to extend insurance services to remote communities. Through the Bima Mashinani initiative, IRA continues to broaden its presence across counties, reaffirming its dedication to consumer protection, insurance literacy and inclusive financial resilience.
A key highlight of the programme was an interactive session with local journalists, who were trained on IRA’s mandate and insurance matters to enhance accuracy and depth in their reporting. Their questions largely focused on regulation, policies and the mass media channels IRA uses to communicate with the public. The media practitioners expressed willingness to disseminate the knowledge gained to their audiences.
Beyond the media forum, the sensitisation drive featured interactive engagements tailored to different sectors, allowing participants to interrogate insurance issues relevant to their day-to-day economic activities. A session for boda boda sector addressed both their business and family needs with many concerns raised revolving around unsettled claims.
Laikipia County Deputy Governor Hon. Reuben Kamuri and the County Executive Committee Member for Health graced some of the training sessions. Also present during the training were officers from the National Police Service, led by the Laikipia Base Commander.
The core objective of Bima Mashinani is to raise public awareness on accountability within the insurance industry, promote consumer rights and ensure citizens have access to regulated insurance services. The Laikipia forum comes barely three months after similar engagements were held in Trans Nzoia County.