MUA Insurance operates a digital motor insurance calculator in Kenya to give motorists immediate premium estimates as customers increasingly seek financial services online.

John Wachira is MUA Insurance’s Distribution Manager for Regions and Bancassurance and Business Development.

In an article submitted for publication, Wachira said Kenyan motorists increasingly expect to understand insurance options without first visiting an office or making several calls.

“This is increasingly how consumers interact with other financial and commercial services,” Wachira said.

The shift matters to Kenyan motorists because an earlier indication of insurance costs can inform vehicle purchases and policy renewals.

Wachira said the calculator takes information supplied by motorists about their vehicles and processes it to produce a premium estimate online.

The tool uses a statistical pricing approach known as a Generalized Linear Model or GLM to determine premiums from the information provided.

Wachira said insurers widely use these models to analyse factors affecting risk and apply the relationships they identify to pricing.

Customers do not need to understand the mathematics behind the model to obtain an estimate through the calculator.

“The GLM technology supports the pricing process,” Wachira said.

He said integration with MUA’s core insurance infrastructure connects the online quotation process with the insurer’s underlying policy and underwriting processes.

The calculator therefore forms part of a wider insurance process rather than serving only as a separate tool for estimating costs.

Wachira said buying motor insurance traditionally required motorists to find an insurer or broker before waiting for a vehicle review and quotation.

Customers would then decide whether to proceed after receiving the proposed price through that process.

The digital calculator changes the quotation stage by giving customers an indication of cost without waiting for someone to prepare it manually.

Wachira said a prospective vehicle buyer may want to establish the insurance cost before completing a purchase.

A motorist approaching renewal may also want an indication of the premium for the coming year.

Other customers may use the calculator while exploring different insurance options before deciding whether to buy.

For these motorists, earlier quotations could move cost comparisons closer to the beginning of their insurance decisions.

Wachira said MUA designed the calculator to support movement from initial interest through quotation to purchase.

He described the intended online process as one where customers discover a product and obtain information before calculating costs and completing a transaction.

MUA’s calculator links the quotation stage to the insurer’s wider systems supporting policy and underwriting processes.

MUA Insurance (Kenya) Limited has relocated and upgraded its Mombasa branch to Jubilee Arcade along Moi Avenue, positioning the office within the coastal city’s central business district as part of a broader branch modernisation and national expansion strategy, the company said on March 17, 2026.

The insurer moved the branch from Zulfat Hatimy Plaza on Hatimy Road, citing the need for a more accessible location as it scales physical service points in line with rising demand for insurance among corporates, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and households.

The expansion plan comes as Kenya’s insurance industry posts steady premium growth but continues to report relatively low penetration levels compared with other financial services. According to the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) quarterly report cited by the company, Kenya’s insurance industry recorded gross written premiums of KES 352.29 billion by September 2025, an 11.2% year-on-year increase, while total industry assets surpassed KES 1 trillion for the first time. The same release put insurance penetration at about 2.4% of GDP, indicating room for growth as insurers broaden distribution through regional outreach and service digitisation.

Within that context, MUA said the Mombasa relocation is intended to strengthen service delivery at the Coast, a key trade and logistics corridor that serves the Port of Mombasa and regional supply chains linking Kenya to Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“This investment reflects our confidence in Kenya’s long-term economic outlook and the growing importance of insurance in supporting businesses and households,” said Nixon Shigoli, CEO, MUA Insurance (Kenya). “Upgrading our branches allows us to serve customers more efficiently while reinforcing our presence in regions that are central to trade and economic growth.”

MUA said the Mombasa branch will serve businesses and households with products including property and asset insurance, motor and marine cover, liability solutions, health insurance, engineering and cyber insurance, alongside specialised covers such as aviation and political violence insurance.

The company linked its Kenya investment programme to the backing of its parent, Mauritius-based MUA Ltd (Group), which operates across six markets—Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Seychelles. In the statement, MUA said the group’s market capitalisation reached KES 9.1 billion as of December 2024, a 39% increase within 12 months.

For Kenya’s insurance market, branch upgrades and relocations remain a notable channel strategy even as firms invest in digital distribution. Physical access continues to matter for onboarding and servicing complex commercial lines—such as marine and logistics-related covers—especially in trade-heavy regions like Mombasa, where insurers target port-linked operators, traders, SMEs and households.

The IRA’s data points to an industry that is growing in volumes and balance sheets, but still has significant headroom on penetration. In that environment, insurers’ efforts to extend reach beyond Nairobi and improve service turnaround times could intensify competition in regional hubs, particularly for corporate and SME segments tied to transport, warehousing, construction and import-export activity.

MUA did not disclose the value of its Kenya branch investment or a timeline for additional branch openings. However, the company said the Mombasa move is part of an ongoing modernisation programme aimed at bringing service points closer to customers across key economic centres.