Public Liability Insurance
Protects businesses against covered legal claims arising from accidental bodily injury, death or property damage suffered by third parties in connection with their business activities.
Get a Quote NowWhat's Covered
Third-Party Bodily Injury & Death
Compensation you become legally liable to pay if a customer, visitor or member of the public is accidentally injured or dies in connection with your business activities, including medical costs, loss of earnings and damages.
Third-Party Property Damage
Pays for accidental damage your business causes to other people's property — a client's equipment, a neighbour's stock, a customer's vehicle or the finishes in a leased unit.
Legal Defence Costs & Settlement
Solicitor fees, court charges, witness expenses and the settlement or judgement awarded against you are covered, so a disputed claim does not drain your cash even when you have done nothing wrong.
Occupiers' Liability for Premises
Protection for injury or damage arising from the condition or use of premises you occupy — a shop floor, salon, restaurant, warehouse or event space — including slips, trips and falls by visitors.
Products Liability Extension
Extends cover to claims arising from goods you sell, supply, repair or handle — including food, beverages, cosmetics and assembled items — where the product causes injury or damage.
Completed Operations Extension
Covers claims that surface after a job is finished — a fitting that later falls, a repair that later fails, a delivery installed on site — when the work itself caused the injury or damage.
Why Public Liability Insurance Matters
One Accident Can Cost Millions
A fall on a wet floor or a shelving unit that topples can generate a claim of KES 2 million or more — far beyond what most small businesses hold in cash reserves.
Anyone Can Bring a Claim
Customers, passers-by, delivery riders and neighbours all qualify as third parties. In a country where claims culture is growing, the risk is not remote — it is daily.
Landlords and Contracts Require It
Shopping malls, office parks and event venues routinely demand a public liability certificate before you are allowed to trade, and clients increasingly ask for the same.
Legal Costs Run Either Way
Defending a claim costs money whether you win or lose. Without cover, solicitor fees alone can run into six figures before any damages are even agreed.
Your Premises Are Open to the Public
Every visitor who walks through the door is someone you owe a duty of care to. Poor lighting, an uneven step or an unsecured display can all turn into a liability claim.
It Protects Business Continuity
A single uncompensated claim can force you to close, sell assets or borrow. Insurance keeps the shock on the balance sheet manageable so the business keeps trading.
How It Works
Describe Your Business
We look at what you do, where you operate, your annual turnover, footfall and any sub-contractors to understand the real exposure you carry each day.
Choose Your Limit of Indemnity
You select a limit per occurrence and an annual aggregate — starting from KES 1 million — along with any products or completed operations extensions you need.
Cover in Force
The policy runs for twelve months. You receive a certificate of insurance to give landlords and clients, and you simply renew or adjust limits as the business grows.
Lodge a Claim
If someone claims against you, notify us immediately, do not admit liability in writing, and send the incident report, photos and any correspondence for assessment.
Types of Public Liability Cover
Choose the cover that matches what you do and who walks through your door.
Basic Public Liability
Core protection for injury to third parties and damage to their property arising from your day-to-day business activities. Limits typically start from KES 1 million.
- Limits available from KES 1 million upwards
- Third-party bodily injury and death
- Third-party property damage
- Legal defence costs and settlements
- Occupiers' liability for your premises
Products Liability
For businesses that sell, supply, manufacture or handle goods. Covers claims arising from products that cause injury or damage after they leave your hands.
- Injury or damage caused by goods sold
- Cover for food, drink and cosmetic products
- Extensions for labels and packaging
- Includes goods supplied for free or repaired
- Can be written as a standalone or extension
Extended / Commercial Public Liability
A broader package for higher-risk operations, combining public liability with products and completed operations cover and higher limits to satisfy contracts and venues.
- Products and completed operations included
- Higher limits for malls, events and contracts
- Cover away from your stated premises
- Legal defence costs in addition to the limit
- Suitable for contractors and organisers
Who Is This For
Shops & Retail Outlets
Supermarkets, boutiques, hardware stores and kiosks welcome members of the public daily. One slip on a spilled drink can become a claim worth months of profit.
Hotels, Restaurants & Salons
Hospitality and personal care businesses face constant public interaction — hot surfaces, wet floors, chemicals and crowded spaces all raise the probability of an incident.
Contractors & Events Organisers
Builders, fitters, caterers and event companies work on other people's premises in front of crowds, making liability cover essential for site access and contracts.
Manufacturers & Landlords
Factories producing goods for sale need products liability, while landlords and property managers need cover for visitors, tenants and common areas they control.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Choosing limits that are too low
A KES 1 million limit sounds adequate until a serious injury claim arrives with medical bills, lost earnings and legal fees stacked together. Match the limit to your risk, not to the cheapest premium.
Assuming your home contents policy covers business visitors
A domestic policy will not respond when a customer is injured in your shop or when a client's property is damaged at your premises. Business activity needs business cover.
Ignoring products and completed operations extensions
Standard public liability only covers your premises and immediate activities. If you sell goods or finish jobs that cause harm later, you need the extension written in from day one.
Thinking employees are covered too
Public liability is for third parties only. Injury to your own staff is handled under WIBA, which every Kenyan employer is required to have separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does public liability insurance actually cover?
It covers legal liability for accidental bodily injury, death or property damage suffered by third parties in connection with your business, together with the legal defence costs and settlements that arise from such claims.
How much cover do I need?
Limits commonly start at KES 1 million and rise to KES 10 million or more. Consider your premises, footfall, contract requirements and worst-case scenario. Landlords and clients often specify a minimum — check your leases and tenders first.
Does it cover my employees?
No. Employees are not third parties. Their injuries and occupational illnesses fall under the Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA), which you must arrange separately as an employer in Kenya.
Is public liability insurance mandatory in Kenya?
There is no general statute requiring every business to hold it, but landlords, malls, event venues, tender boards and clients routinely make it a condition of trading or contracting. Once you sign such a contract, it becomes effectively mandatory.
What is the products liability extension?
It extends cover to claims caused by goods you sell, supply, manufacture or repair. If a customer is hurt by your product after purchase, the extension responds — something a basic policy does not include.
What is completed operations cover?
It protects you when a claim arises from work you have already finished — an installation that later fails or a repair that later causes damage. Without it, your cover may stop at the moment the job is handed over.
What is usually excluded?
Intentional damage, professional errors (which need professional indemnity), motor accidents (motor policy), employee injury (WIBA) and contract penalties are typically outside the policy. Always read the exclusions section carefully.
How is the premium calculated?
Premium depends on the nature of your business, annual turnover, limit of indemnity, extensions chosen, premises security and your claims history. A kiosk and a busy hotel will pay very different rates for the same limit.
Real Talk
A customer slips on your floor, a display falls on a child, your fitter damages a client's floor. None of these require you to be careless — accidents happen in a second and the demand for compensation arrives in weeks.
Most Kenyan SMEs discover they have no cover only when the advocates' letter lands. By then the money is coming out of trading capital, and the business stops.
Open your doors insured — every day you trade without it, you are gambling.
Public liability insurance products are offered by licensed insurance companies. Coverage, limits, exclusions, and premiums vary by insurer, business type, turnover and chosen limit of indemnity. The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute a quotation or binding offer. Please contact us for personalised quotes and advice tailored to your specific business activities.
Trade Without the Fear of a Claim
Whether you run a shop, a salon, a site or an event, get covered before the next visitor walks in. One policy, complete protection.
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