Car accident in Kenya: what to do, and how to make the insurance claim (2026)

For an owner, an accident costs twice: the repair, and every day the car is off the road earning nothing. The fastest way back is a claim done right the first time. Here is the order of things — share it with your driver, because he is the one who will be at the scene.

At the scene

1. Make it safe. Hazard lights, warning triangles, and get passengers out of the traffic. If anyone is hurt, call for help first — everything else waits.
2. Take photos of both cars, the number plates, the road, and the damage, from several angles.
3. Exchange details with the other driver: name, phone, ID, number plate and their insurer.
4. Get witnesses' numbers if there are any.
5. Do not admit fault or agree to "sort it out" privately before the police and the insurer are involved. A side deal can void the claim.
6. Tell the owner straight away. A good driver agreement says within two hours.

If the car is on a trip, report it in the Uber or Bolt app as well.

The police report and abstract

Report the accident at the nearest police station within 24 hours and get the OB number. Insurers require a police abstract for accident, theft and hit-and-run claims. The abstract is now applied for on eCitizen: open the Police Abstract service, describe the incident, and pay KSh 1,050.

Tell the insurer the same day

Notify your insurer (or broker) at once — most policies set a short deadline, and a late notice is one of the commonest reasons a claim is refused. The insurer gives you a claim number and the list of documents. Expect to need:

• the completed motor accident claim form,
• the police abstract,
• a copy of the driver's licence (and his PSV badge for a ride-hailing car),
• a repair estimate,
• copies of the logbook and the insurance certificate.

How the claim is settled

Own damage (comprehensive cover): the insurer reviews the claim and the estimate, and may send an assessor to inspect the car. Repairs are then authorised at one of the insurer's approved garages. When the car is ready, you pay the excess — your share of the claim — and the insurer issues a release letter so you can collect it. The insurer pays the garage directly.

Theft: the insurer appoints an investigator. If the claim is in order, it makes a total-loss offer less the theft excess; you hand over the documents of title and sign a discharge voucher, and the insurer pays. GA Insurance, for example, says it pays within 7 working days of receiving the signed voucher.

Third party (someone else's car or injuries): your insurer handles the other side's claim against you. It may investigate liability first. Do not pay the other driver yourself.

The questions owners should settle in advance

• Who pays the excess when the accident was the driver's fault? Put it in the agreement.
• Is the driver named on the policy? If the policy names drivers and he is not on it, the claim is at risk.
• Is the cover right for ride-hailing? A private policy can refuse a claim for an accident on a trip — see PSV insurance.
• What happens to the daily amount while the car is in the garage? Garage days for a repair that was not his fault are usually not owed — agree it before it happens.

Back on the road

Gariboss marks garage days as not owed, so neither you nor your driver argues about them later, and shows you when the car starts paying again.