• By Raymond Momanyi

The Harsh Insurance Lesson Every Kenyan Transporter Should Never Learn the Hard Way

If you’ve ever moved goods across East Africa — from Mlolongo weighbridge all the way to Moyale, Jinja, Addis, or Goma — then you know the road doesn’t play. Those highways have no sympathy for paperwork mistakes, no patience for the wrong cover, and no chill when disaster strikes. 

James, a regional transporter based in Nairobi, learned this the hardest way possible. 

James runs a solid operation — 27 prime movers and trailers moving goods for clients across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia… basically the entire Eastern Africa map.
 
One day he walks into broker X’s office. All he wants is insurance for his fleet. Standard, right?
 
But the broker doesn’t slow down to ask: 

• Do your trucks carry your own goods or clients’ goods?
• Do you operate beyond Kenya’s borders?
• Do you have drivers and turnboys on every trip?
• Are your trucks hired out sometimes?

No deep dive.
No risk assessment.
No “Let’s understand your operations first.”
 
Instead, broker X hands James a Motor Commercial – Own Goods policy — the kind designed for local businesses carrying their own cargo, not for heavy trucks doing regional haulage for clients.
 
James pays. Gets his certificates. Drives away happy.
 
Until life shows up.  

A month later, James gets that call every transporter dreads.

“Boss, tumepata accident hapa Ethiopia. Head-on collision…”

The prime mover is wrecked.
The goods are damaged, some stolen.
The turnboy is injured.
Passengers in the other vehicle are injured.
 
Thank God no fatalities.
 
But when James files the claim, the insurer asks one question that freezes his blood:

“Where were the trucks headed and whose goods were they carrying?”

Because the cover broker X sold him only applies when the truck is carrying its own goods — not client cargo, not cross-border, not commercial general cartage.

This accident?
Completely outside the scope of the policy.
And the bitter truth hits: the claim is NOT payable.
The wrong cover equals zero compensation.
 
A whole prime mover written-off.
No payout.
No cargo compensation.
Liabilities everywhere.
Staff injured.
Reputation harmed.
And millions instantly lost. 

Where Did It Go Wrong?

James didn’t fail.
The broker did.
 
Transporting across East Africa isn’t just “business.” It’s a sophisticated, high-risk logistical dance involving: 

• cross-border compliance,
• long-distance fatigue risk,
• dangerous roads,
• high-value cargo,
• unpredictable security zones,
• multiple stakeholders per trip.

A transporter’s insurance must be deliberate, not rushed.
 

What Imana Would Have Done Differently (And Why It Matters)

At Imana Insurance Agency and MyAsset Auto Valuers, we never insure trucks blindly. We sit down with you and map your entire operation like it’s our own.
 
Here’s what we would have recommended before any certificate was issued:  

1. Motor Commercial – Comprehensive (General Cartage)

The correct cover for trucks carrying clients’ goods regionally.
 It protects: 

• the prime mover,
• the trailer,
• third-party liabilities,
• cross-border movement.

This is the cover James needed day one.
👉 Check: https://imana.co.ke/insurance/motor-insurance
👉 Valuation support by MyAsset: https://myasset.co.ke   

2. Driver Personal Accident Cover

Because drivers are on the frontline — fatigue, long nights, border chaos, road hazards.
 This covers: 

• accidental injury,
• disability,
• death benefits,
• medical expenses.

Simple, affordable, life-changing. 

3. COMESA Yellow Card

For every cross-border transporter.
It ensures: 

• third-party liability coverage across multiple African countries,
• compliance at every border post,
• faster trips (no surprises from traffic police abroad).

👉 https://imana.co.ke/comesa-insurance  

4. WIBA or WIBA/GPA

For all staff — turnboys, mechanics, loaders.
It covers: 

• workplace injuries,
• disability,
• medical expenses,
• death benefits.

Because injuries don’t wait for office hours.
👉 https://imana.co.ke/insurance/wiba-insurance  

5. Goods in Transit (GIT) or Carrier’s Liability

This one is the holy grail for cargo movement.
 It covers: 

• theft,
• hijack,
• accidental loss,
• damage in transit.

Exactly the cover James needed to protect the stolen goods.
👉 https://imana.co.ke/marine-insurance (often used for wide cargo classes)
👉 https://imana.co.ke/contact-us 
 

A Transporter’s Life Is Too High-Risk for Guesswork

James’ painful experience is too common in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kigali, Addis, Juba…
 
Many transporters assume: 

• “Insurance ni insurance.”
• “As long as I’m covered in Kenya, niko sawa.”
• “Brokers always know what I need.”

But policies are not created equal.
 
One wrong classification turns a multi-million-shilling fleet into a personal liability overnight. 
 

Your Fleet Deserves Better. Your Drivers Deserve Better. Your Peace Deserves Better.

Imana doesn’t guess.
Imana doesn’t assume.
Imana asks, listens, and advises based on your real operations.
 
And with MyAsset Valuers, your trucks get: 

• fast valuations,
• accurate reports,
• digital records,
• seamless claim support when disaster strikes.

You deserve an insurance partner who knows the terrain — from Athi River to Arusha, from Moyale to Awasa. 
 

The Wrong Cover Is More Expensive Than No Cover

 One mistake cost James: 

• a prime mover worth millions,
• cargo worth millions,
• liabilities he didn’t expect,
• a broken business chain.

Let that not be your story. 

Need proper fleet insurance? Talk to people who understand East African roads.

👉 Motor Insurance: https://imana.co.ke/insurance/motor-insurance
👉 COMESA Cover: https://imana.co.ke/comesa-insurance
👉 WIBA/GPA: https://imana.co.ke/insurance/wiba-insurance
👉 WhatsApp Support: +254796209402
👉 Visit Us: Krishna Centre, 4th Floor, Westlands, Nairobi
 
This is more than insurance.
It’s your livelihood.
Your drivers’ safety.
Your reputation.
Your peace.
 
And peace of mind is something you should never gamble with.