Anyone who has insured a car for the first time must be well aware of the car insurance requirements in Kenya. However, it may be necessary to change your insurance provider at some point, or you may be in the process of switching cars. If you are an alien and you are in the country for a long period, you will also need to get a local cover for your car. Here are three basic motor insurance requirements necessary for you to get a cover.
National ID
The national ID is vital in the insurance process for purposes of identification. You need to have a means of identifying yourself to an insurance company before they write a policy in your name. Theoretically, the details of the car should be sufficient. However, it is not the car being covered, it is the car owner who is covered against risks that may affect his car. A policy must be taken out in your name, and the only way the insurance company can tell that they are dealing with a real person is through your ID. Non-citizens need to present their government issued alien ID for insurance purposes. Insurance companies may also accept passports as a means of identifying you. This is ok, provided the passport is valid.
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Log Book
The second auto insurance requirement all new car owners must present to prospective insurers is the log book. The logbook should be in your name showing that you are the legal owner of the car. It is important to bear in mind that if the logbook bears a different name from the name of the person who is insured, getting compensation from an insurance company will be complicated. Make the transfer of ownership as soon as practical in order to shield yourself from any risks. It may be possible to get a policy drawn based on the sale agreement. However, this temporary solution should not lull you into inaction. The logbook should have the same name as the policy name.
Valuation Report
The third auto insurance requirement is a valuation report. It is necessary to take the car to a valuer approved by your prospective insurance company to carry out a valuation of the car for insurance purposes. The valuation report is an indication of the maximum value you can insure the car for. In this sense, you cannot insure a car for a value higher than that shown on the valuation report. On the other hand, you can choose to insure the car for a value that is lower than that indicated in the valuation report. Many insurance companies will not recommend this for obvious reasons. In order to get a valuation report, talk to your prospective insurance company and they will give you further instructions on how to get your car valued. Using their values will also save you money.
If you need a quick estimate of how much it will cost to insure your car, feel free to fill our free online insurance quote generator available here as you plan your car insurance.
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