The Kenya International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) and a group of insurance partners on Monday announced a national rollout of a Digital Marine Cargo Insurance (DMCI) platform ahead of the start of mandatory marine cargo insurance requirements on July 1, 2026.

In a statement dated June 30, 2026, KIFWA said the platform will enable digital issuance of marine cargo insurance certificates and connect to payment and verification channels used in Kenya’s import clearance process. The rollout comes as importers, clearing agents and insurers prepare for an enforcement shift that is expected to increase demand for marine cargo insurance documentation at ports and border points.

According to KIFWA, the participating insurance firms are APA General Insurance Company, Britam General Insurance, CIC General Insurance, Old Mutual General Insurance and Pacis Insurance. The statement also lists Dynamique and eCitizen as partners involved in the rollout, describing the initiative as powered by technology providers.

KIFWA said the DMCI platform is “linked to payment gateways provided by E-citizen, KRA ICMS, M-Pesa, participating banking institutions, and relevant regulatory bodies.” The association added that the system is intended to support “real-time premium payment and certificate verification” and “faster cargo clearance through automated digital processing.”

The statement lists key functions including “instant issuance of Digital Marine Cargo Insurance Certificates,” integrations for payment verification “through eCitizen, M-Pesa, banking institutions, Pesaflow, among others,” and “nationwide customer support and training for clearing and forwarding agents.”

The rollout matters for Kenya’s logistics and trade ecosystem because marine cargo insurance documentation is frequently required as part of import clearance workflows, particularly for consignments entering through the Port of Mombasa and key inland border points serving the Northern Corridor. By linking insurance certificate issuance to digital payment rails and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) systems, the platform could reduce time spent on manual verification and lower the risk of clearance delays tied to missing or unverifiable documents.

KIFWA said the platform has been accompanied by stakeholder training ahead of the compliance date. “In preparation for implementation, KIFWA and its partners have successfully conducted sensitization and training programmes for members and industry stakeholders in Nairobi, Mombasa, Malaba, Busia, Namanga and Isebania,” the association said.

Training will continue for the next 12 months, according to the statement, covering access to the platform, end-to-end certificate issuance, premium payment, integration with customs clearance procedures, and claims reporting and customer support.

In an implementation update, KIFWA said it will maintain support “through continuous training, technical assistance and close collaboration with its insurance partners to ensure a smooth transition to the new digital marine cargo insurance framework.”

For insurers, the move signals deeper integration with government and payments infrastructure, which could reshape distribution and verification of marine cover for importers and agents. For clearing and forwarding firms, the shift may increase the operational importance of digital readiness at a time when clearance processes are increasingly system-driven across KRA and eCitizen channels.

Next steps will focus on onboarding users and stabilising operations as the mandatory marine cargo insurance requirements take effect from July 1, 2026. KIFWA said members are expected to use the training programme and adopt the platform to avoid disruptions in cargo clearance once compliance enforcement begins.