Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1337276,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1337276/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nambale, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Geoffrey Mulanya",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this particular debate. As my colleagues have said, insurance is supposed to be a financial safe net to help one in a misfortune that may happen but, that rule has changed in this country. After receiving premiums, insurance companies deviate from the core duty they are supposed to do to their insurers and start playing games. Having gone through the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, I believe that the penalty that is being introduced in Section 67(h) will help in protecting Kenyans from most rogue insurance companies. As a practising advocate in this country, I note that once a Kenyan has a misfortune, he will go through a court system and get a judgement. However, after the judgement, the insurance company that has participated in the case takes off leaving the claim hanging and it refuses to pay completely. In some instances, you will find that the insured who ends up being proclaimed and auctioned, loses property yet he had a good policy that he had fully paid for. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I believe the amendments are going to help us regulate this sector. As one Member said, a majority of bodaboda operators do not have insurance. A majority of transport operators only take out insurance policies for purposes of compliance with regulations. Kenyans no longer know the purpose of insurance, which is supposed to be useful at the point of an accident. That is the reason we feel that the regulator has completely failed to perform their duties. It is high time we had strict penalties whereby if the insurer fails to meet the obligation, then they pay the penalty. As my colleagues have said, we will propose more amendments at the Committee of the whole House stage, especially on the provision on penalties. I believe that we should not leave the penalty at the judgment stage. We must also broaden the provision to include circumstances where the insurer has been informed of an occurrence of an accident, the policy is fully paid for and they have already investigated but still fail to move ahead and compensate the involved parties. We will not just allow the parties to first go to court. Let the court be the last resort. It becomes very expensive and frustrating to Kenyans who go round in circles and spend three to four years for them to be compensated when this should have been done within two or three months as provided for by the policy cover. With those few remarks, I beg to support the amendment as proposed in the Bill. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}