Britam, Minet Launch $2.60 Monthly Health Cover for Kenya’s Informal Workers

Britam and Minet Kenya have launched a low-cost medical insurance plan targeting Kenya’s domestic and informal workers, offering healthcare cover from KSh336 ($2.60) a month in a bid to expand insurance access to one of the country’s most underserved workforce segments.

The product, dubbed Bima ya Wafanyikazi, is designed for nearly 2 million domestic workers and the broader informal sector, which employs more than 15 million Kenyans. The cover can be purchased by workers themselves, employers or registered worker associations.

The plan provides inpatient and outpatient care, maternity, dental and optical benefits, annual health check-ups and last expense cover through Britam’s network of more than 600 healthcare facilities nationwide.

The launch comes as insurers seek to deepen penetration in Kenya, where insurance coverage remains among the lowest in Africa at about 2.4%, compared with more than 11.5% in South Africa.

“For many domestic and informal workers, there is very little room for life’s disruptions,” Britam Connect CEO and Principal Officer Evah Kimani said. “An illness, injury or even a few days away from work can quickly place pressure on household finances.”

Kimani said the product was designed to encourage preventive healthcare while reducing the financial burden of unexpected medical expenses through comprehensive outpatient, inpatient, maternity, dental and optical benefits.

Minet Kenya Deputy Director for Commercial Gideon Bii said the insurer and broker developed the product after identifying a significant protection gap among Kenya’s informal workforce.

“There is a significant gap in healthcare protection for Kenya’s informal workforce, and it is a gap that demands innovative solutions,” Bii said. “Together with Britam, we have combined our strengths to create a solution that not only expands access to affordable healthcare, but also advances financial inclusion.”

Domestic workers remain one of Kenya’s largest sources of employment outside agriculture and small-scale trade, with many working under informal arrangements that leave them exposed to medical emergencies and income disruptions.

Britam and Minet said the initiative supports efforts to improve financial inclusion and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on health and decent work by expanding access to affordable healthcare protection for low-income workers.