Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) Insurance
Provides insurance cover for employees against work-related injuries, occupational diseases and accidental death, helping employers meet their obligations under Kenya's Work Injury Benefits Act.
Get a Quote NowWhat's Covered
Medical Expenses
The cost of treatment for a work-related injury — hospitalisation, surgery, medication, dressings, physiotherapy and rehabilitation — paid so the employee gets care without waiting for a court case.
Temporary Total Disability
Weekly compensation based on the employee's earnings while they are completely unable to work after an injury — payable for up to 100 weeks as recovery progresses.
Permanent Partial Disability
A lump sum for permanent impairment that still allows the employee to work — loss of a finger, partial loss of hearing, scarring or reduced mobility — assessed under the Act's schedule of compensation.
Permanent Total Disability
Compensation where an injury leaves the employee permanently unable to ever work again — paralysis, total loss of sight or the loss of both limbs — the most serious benefit the Act provides.
Death Benefit & Funeral Expenses
A lump sum paid to the dependants of an employee who dies from a work-related injury, together with funeral expenses, calculated from the deceased employee's earnings.
Occupational Disease
Benefits for diseases contracted over time because of the work itself — from repetitive strain and respiratory conditions to chemical exposure — treated the same as an accidental injury under the Act.
Why WIBA Insurance Matters
The Law Says Every Employer Must
The Work Injury Benefits Act, No. 13 of 2007 requires every employer in Kenya to either insure employees or make equivalent provision yourself. There is no small-business exemption.
Casual Workers Are Covered Too
Daily labourers, probationers and part-time staff are employees under the Act. A supervisor who excludes them from cover is carrying the full risk personally.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Operating without cover is an offence. Conviction can attract fines, and an uninsured employer still owes every benefit out of their own pocket when an injury occurs.
One Serious Injury Can Cost Millions
Surgery, months of wages and a permanent disability award stack up fast. Without insurance, that money comes straight out of payroll and stock money.
Claims Do Not Need a Court Case
WIBA replaced the old civil suit route with a faster statutory process. Benefits are assessed and paid quickly — which also means there is no waiting for a judge to save you.
Landlords, Tenders and Clients Ask
Main contractors, government tenders and large clients routinely demand WIBA certificates for your entire workforce before letting you on site or awarding work.
How It Works
Declare Your Workforce
We record every employee — permanent, casual and seasonal — with their job roles, annual wage roll and your industry risk class to price the risk correctly.
Choose Your Cover Level
You select the statutory WIBA benefits and any extensions such as enhanced medical, rehabilitation or funeral top-up, then confirm the sum insured and premium.
Cover in Force & Report Accidents
The policy runs annually. Employees report injuries to you immediately, and you report reportable accidents to the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services within statutory timeframes.
Claim Assessment & Payment
Medical evidence, wage records and any disability assessment are submitted. Approved benefits are then paid directly — treatment, weekly payments, lump sums or the death benefit.
Types of WIBA Cover
Start with the statutory minimum, then extend it to match how your people work.
Statutory WIBA Cover
The core policy that meets your obligation under the Work Injury Benefits Act. Covers all employees for the benefits the Act prescribes, including casual and temporary staff.
- Medical expenses for work injuries
- Temporary total disability up to 100 weeks
- Permanent partial and total disability awards
- Death benefit and funeral expenses
- Certificate of insurance for tenders and sites
WIBA with Extended Medical
Statutory cover plus richer treatment benefits — specialist care, longer hospital stays and full rehabilitation — for employers who want staff treated faster and back sooner.
- All statutory WIBA benefits included
- Specialist and surgical treatment cover
- Physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions
- Faster access to preferred hospitals
- Suitable for high-risk and manual work
Employer's Enhanced Package
Statutory cover combined with group personal accident and enhanced payments, giving you a complete employee protection package under one arrangement.
- WIBA statutory benefits as the base
- Group personal accident top-up limits
- Higher funeral expense contribution
- Cover for commuting on employer business
- Optional outpatient and follow-up care
Who Is This For
All Kenyan Employers
Any business with employees — one worker or one thousand — must hold WIBA cover or make equivalent provision. This includes shops, offices, workshops and service providers.
Contractors & Seasonal Workforces
Construction, transport, agriculture and event crews using casual or daily workers carry high injury risk. WIBA brings every one of those workers under statutory protection.
Schools, Hospitals & Hospitality
Institutions with large staff establishments face both injury and occupational disease exposure. Cover scales with headcount and wage roll under a single policy.
SMEs & Micro Businesses
A salon, a duka or a workshop with two employees is still an employer under the Act. Premiums are calculated on wage roll, so small teams pay small premiums.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Assuming WIBA is optional
There is no threshold below which the Act stops applying. If you pay someone to work for you, you are an employer — and operating without cover is an offence that still leaves you liable for every benefit.
Not covering casual and daily workers
Casuals are the most likely to be injured and the most commonly left off the schedule. Leaving them out of the declaration does not remove your liability when they are hurt.
Underdeclaring employee numbers and wages
Quoting fewer staff or a lower wage roll to save premium is a material misdeclaration. On claim, benefits are calculated from real earnings — and the shortfall plus penalties land on you.
Failing to report accidents in time
Employers must report reportable accidents to the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services within statutory timeframes. Late or missing reports attract penalties and complicate claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WIBA insurance?
It is insurance that meets your duty under Kenya's Work Injury Benefits Act, No. 13 of 2007 to provide benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries, occupational diseases or accidental death — covering medical expenses, disability payments and death benefits.
Is WIBA cover mandatory for my business?
Yes. Every employer in Kenya must either insure employees under the Act or make equivalent provision from their own resources. There is no exemption for small teams, casual labour or short contracts.
Who exactly is covered?
All employees — permanent, part-time, probationary and casual or daily workers. If you direct and pay someone to work for you, treat them as an employee for WIBA purposes and declare them.
What benefits are paid out?
Medical expenses for the injury, temporary total disability payments based on earnings for up to 100 weeks, permanent partial disability assessed under the schedule of compensation, permanent total disability, and a death benefit with funeral expenses for dependants.
What happens if I do not have cover?
You commit an offence under the Act and face penalties on conviction. Separately, you remain personally liable to pay every benefit to the injured employee — money that will still be owed even after prosecution.
When must accidents be reported?
Employees should report injuries to you immediately, and you must notify reportable accidents to the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services within the statutory timeframes. Fatal and serious cases carry the tightest deadlines, so report first and assemble documents after.
How is the premium calculated?
Premium is based on your total wage roll, industry risk class, number of employees and claims history. Manual and high-risk trades cost more per shilling of payroll than office-based businesses.
Does it cover injuries while travelling to work?
Cover applies to injuries arising out of and in the course of employment, including journeys made on the employer's business. Ordinary commuting is generally excluded — the facts of each journey decide the outcome.
Real Talk
A carpenter loses a finger, a loader slips off a lorry, a cook gets scalded. Under WIBA those employees are entitled to benefits whether you planned for them or not — the Act does not ask if you were ready.
Employers without cover end up paying twice: once to the injured worker out of their own pocket, and again through penalties for not having insurance in the first place.
Every worker you pay is covered by law — so cover them for real.
WIBA insurance products are offered by licensed insurance companies. Coverage, limits, exclusions, and premiums vary by insurer, industry, wage roll and declared workforce. The information on this page is for general guidance only, reflects the Work Injury Benefits Act, No. 13 of 2007 in summary, and does not constitute a quotation or binding offer. Please contact us for personalised quotes and advice tailored to your specific workforce.
Protect Your People, Protect Your Business
From your first casual worker to a full payroll, get WIBA cover in place today and keep your workforce and your business compliant.
Get a Quote Now