Updated 7 November 2026
SME business insurance in Kenya is often sold as a combined policy, but the sections included are not identical. Start with the losses your business needs to survive, then obtain a written schedule showing the selected sections, insured amounts, excesses and exclusions. A policy name alone does not establish that theft, employee injuries, customer claims and lost trading income are all covered.
Product descriptions checked on 7 November 2026. This guide compares buying questions, not insurer performance or unpublished premiums. The policy wording and your issued schedule determine cover.
On this page
In this guide
- 1. Check which sections are actually selected
- 2. Match fire cover to the property at risk
- 3. Read the burglary and security conditions
- 4. Separate public liability from employee protection
- 5. Ask about a shutdown, not only damaged property
- 6. Compare SME business insurance quotations on equal terms
- 7. Set up records before the policy starts
- Frequently asked questions
- Official product sources
1. Check which sections are actually selected
Britam describes Biashara as a combined solution tailored for SMEs. Its published product page makes fire the compulsory section and lists burglary, all risks, money, goods in transit, Work Injury Benefit and public liability as optional sections. That is an important distinction: a quotation headed “Biashara” does not by itself tell you that every optional section has been purchased.
CIC’s Business Combined Policy page lists fire and perils, fire consequential loss, burglary, all risks, money, fidelity guarantee, group personal accident, WIBA, employer’s liability common law and public liability. This shows the range of risks a combined product may address. It does not mean every listed section applies automatically to every customer. Ask for the proposed schedule and the wording for each section.
2. Match fire cover to the property at risk
List the property the business owns or is responsible for: stock, furniture, equipment and any building interest. Separate the landlord’s building from your own contents and improvements. Then ask the intermediary or insurer to explain which items will be insured, on what valuation basis and against which specified perils.
Do not choose an insured amount simply because it produces the lowest quotation. Ask what happens if the declared value is below the value the insurer requires, and how any average or underinsurance condition would operate in the proposed wording. Have the answer explained before paying rather than discovering a condition when a claim occurs.
A dated asset and stock record helps you discuss the exposure. Our accounting-software buyer checklist is useful when deciding how your SME will maintain reliable business records; software compatibility is not itself proof of insurance cover.
3. Read the burglary and security conditions
Ask what the proposed burglary section means by an insured theft event. Does it require evidence of forcible entry? What happens to stock in an unattended vehicle, goods temporarily off-site or unexplained shortages? These are questions for the actual policy wording, not assumptions that every theft policy works the same way.
Describe your real security arrangements accurately, including opening hours, locks, alarms and any shared premises. Request the exact warranties or conditions that would bind the business. If a quotation assumes security equipment you do not have, correct that information before accepting it. Keep a copy of the information provided and the insurer’s written response.
4. Separate public liability from employee protection
Public liability and employee-injury protection appear as separate sections in the published product descriptions. Do not treat them as interchangeable. Describe customer access, delivery activity, work at client premises and any products or professional advice you supply, then ask precisely which liabilities the quotation addresses.
Likewise, ask how WIBA or any employer’s liability section fits your workforce and activities. This article does not state that buying any combined package, on any terms, automatically satisfies every employment-law obligation. A business hiring staff should also use the first-employee employer guide to keep wider compliance tasks separate from insurance procurement.
Death-in-service benefits are another distinct purchase. Read the group life and last-expense guide before presenting a property or liability policy to staff as a comprehensive employee-benefits programme.
5. Ask about a shutdown, not only damaged property
CIC’s published list includes fire consequential loss. If the business could struggle while repairs or replacement take place, ask whether an appropriate consequential-loss or interruption section is offered and selected. Obtain the exact trigger, insured measure, waiting period if applicable, limits and maximum payment period in writing.
Do not assume a power outage, supplier failure, flood, cyber incident or government restriction is covered because the business loses sales. The question is whether the event and resulting loss meet the proposed wording. SME business insurance should be assessed against your actual interruption risks rather than a broad promise to “protect the business”.
6. Compare SME business insurance quotations on equal terms
| Request from each provider | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Selected sections and insured items | Prevents comparing a narrow package with a broader one |
| Valuation basis, limits and sub-limits | Shows how much protection is proposed for each exposure |
| Excesses or deductibles | Identifies the loss the business would retain |
| Exclusions, warranties and endorsements | Reveals important conditions outside the headline description |
| Total payable amount and payment terms | Makes the actual purchase cost clear |
| Claims notification and evidence requirements | Helps the business prepare a workable response |
No standard SME business insurance premium is quoted here: the two official product descriptions cited below do not establish a universal price for your premises and activities. Ask for quotations based on the same declared business information, then compare both the price and the retained risks.
7. Set up records before the policy starts
Nominate someone to keep the issued schedule, wording, endorsements, payment evidence and claims contact details. Record the start and expiry dates. Ask how to notify changes such as a new location, added equipment, different activities or increased stock. A good buying process continues after the premium is paid.
SME business insurance is most useful when the insured business matches the business actually trading. Review that match at renewal and when material circumstances change. Do not rely on an old quotation after moving premises or expanding activities without obtaining the provider’s confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Does SME business insurance automatically include burglary?
No. Britam lists burglary as optional under Biashara. Check the selected sections on your own quotation and issued schedule.
Does public liability replace WIBA cover?
Do not assume so. The product descriptions list them separately. Ask the insurer to explain the employee and third-party liabilities addressed by the proposed sections.
Is all-risks cover protection against every possible loss?
Do not read the name that way. Request its actual scope, exclusions, insured property and limits before deciding what protection it provides.
Can I compare policies using the premium alone?
No. Compare sections, declared values, limits, excesses, conditions and claims requirements on the same business information.
Official product sources
Britam Biashara product description; CIC Business Combined Policy description. These are examples of published structures, not a recommendation or a finding that one provider is best.
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