NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 25 – Motor vehicle accident claims and forgery topped the list of insurance fraud cases in Kenya in the first nine months of 2025, accounting for nearly two-thirds of reported cases, according to the latest data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA).
The regulator’s Insurance Industry Report for January to September 2025 shows that the two categories combined accounted for 36 out of 57 cases, representing 63.2 percent of all insurance fraud incidents.
This is up from 20 out of 55 cases, or 36.4 percent, in the same period in 2024.
Fraudulent motor accident, theft, or electrocution claims rose from 16 in 2024 to 24 in 2025, while forgery cases tripled from 4 to 12.
Other types of fraud reported included obtaining money by false pretenses (6 in 2024 vs 5 in 2025), theft or stealing by agents (2 vs 5), and fraudulent funeral, death, or medical claims (3 in both years).
Cases linked to contraventions of the Insurance Act however slumped from 10 in 2024 to 3 in 2025.
“During Q3 2025, fifty-seven (57) insurance fraud cases were reported to the Insurance Fraud Investigation Unit (IFIU).”
“The number of fraud cases reported in each month of Q3 2025 were 27 in July, 14 in August and 16 in September.”
The regulator also disclosed that four arrests were made in cases where investigations had been completed, and the suspects were arraigned in court.
Among those arrested were Benard Gatheru Ndegwa, charged with forgery in Embu; Ian Njuguna, facing multiple counts of making false documents and forgery in Milimani; and Kevin Otieno Mabinda, charged with insurance fraud in Mombasa.
Other minor fraud categories recorded in 2025 included impersonation (1 case), complaints against insurance companies (1), fraudulent workmen compensation claims (1), and theft or fraudulent activities by employees or agents, while some previously reported cases such as theft by servants and fraudulent payments by IRA officials were eliminated in 2025.
