Britam Pays Farmers, Pastoralists Ksh97.3m Climate Insurance Claims

By Mbungu Harrison

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Britam Group paid out Sh97.3 million in 2025 to help 402,681 farmers and pastoralists across East Africa recover from climate shocks.

The payout, detailed in Britam’s 2025 Sustainability Report, reinforces the Group’s determination to expand parametric insurance — policies that use satellite data and pre-set weather triggers to release funds fast when drought, erratic rainfall or other climate disruptions hit.

Crop insurance coverage grew by 83% year-on-year from 161,521 farmers in 2024 to 294,799 in 2025. The firm paid Ksh80.4 million in crop claims to smallholder farmers facing unpredictable weather.

Another 107,882 pastoralists in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were covered under the livestock insurance programme with Ksh16.9 million paid in claims to affected households.

“Through inclusive, sustainable and innovative solutions, we are enabling recovery, stability, and continued productivity even in the face of increasing climate uncertainty,” said Britam Group managing director and chief executive officer Tom Gitogo.

“Our focus is to ensure that farmers and pastoralists are not left exposed when climate shocks strike,” he said.

Beyond insurance, the report highlights Britam’s investment in clean energy. In October 2025, the company commissioned a solar installation at Britam Tower in Nairobi.

The system will generate 390,000 kWh of clean energy annually, power over 50% of the building, and offset 198 tonnes of carbon emissions — equal to planting 10,800 trees each year.

The Britam Foundation also planted 86,000 trees in Mt Elgon Water Tower, restored 444 acres of degraded land, and created 1,358 green jobs. That supports Britam’s goal of planting 60 million trees by 2030.

To track progress, Britam launched TAWI in May 2026, a digital platform for real-time coordination and verification of tree-planting.

Through its Lea Mama maternal health programme, 3,300-plus mothers were enrolled in 2025, cutting miscarriage rates by 50% and scoring 9.4/10 on customer satisfaction.

On governance, Britam reported zero corruption incidents in 2025, paid Ksh3.1 billion in taxes across seven markets, and was certified a Top Employer in Africa for the second year running.

This is Britam’s third annual sustainability report, and the first to cover all seven markets under one ESG framework, a shift the Group says aligns with its “Ascend 2030” pan-African strategy.

“Ultimately, sustainability is about thinking beyond the present and making decisions with the future in mind,” said Hilda Njeru, director, legal & sustainability and group company secretary.