Britam General Insurance is urging homeowners, motorists and businesses to review their insurance protection ahead of the expected El Niño rains, saying adequate cover could help cushion them against losses arising from floods and other weather-related damage.
Britam General Insurance Chief Executive Officer James Mbithi said most of the insurer’s products provide protection against flood-related losses, including comprehensive motor, property and home insurance policies.
“With El Niño rains around the corner, the first comfort I want to give our customers is that most of our insurance products cover El Niño and floods,” Mbithi said.
He urged homeowners who have not taken insurance cover to consider doing so before the rains intensify, noting that early protection would enable policyholders to receive support in the event of losses.
“This is the best time to buy home insurance, so that should El Niño come and should you suffer a loss then we should be with you every step of the way,” he said.
Mbithi said the changing climate was also forcing insurers to rethink how they support customers, with Britam developing products designed to respond to emerging weather-related risks.
Among the innovations is flood index insurance, which is available through Britam Connect.
Unlike traditional insurance, index-based products can use predefined measures or triggers linked to an event such as flooding to determine when a payout becomes due.
Mbithi said the insurer’s role was also extending beyond compensation after a loss to helping customers prepare for and reduce their exposure to risks.
“We are giving our customers not just the insurance, but we are partnering with them in the risk advisory,” he said.
The insurer has conducted risk surveys for customers to identify vulnerabilities and advise them on measures they can take to minimise potential losses associated with heavy rains and flooding.
“We’ve been able to do a lot of risk surveys to advise our customers on the measures that they should be taking to protect and to reduce the potential losses from the likelihood of El Niño,” Mbithi said.
The warning comes as businesses and households prepare for potentially disruptive weather conditions, with flooding posing risks to homes, vehicles, commercial premises and other property.
Mbithi’s message is that insurance should be viewed not only as a means of recovering from losses after a disaster, but also as part of broader risk management as extreme weather events become an increasing concern.
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