Kenya’s decision to make travel health insurance mandatory for international visitors has moved from policy proposal to a gazetted requirement, but the travel industry is still waiting for clarity on the procedures that will determine how the rule works in practice.
The requirement is anchored in the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, and applies to non-Kenyans intending to enter and remain in Kenya for less than 12 months. The Government has prescribed a minimum cumulative benefit of US$50,000, including US$20,000 for medical expenses, US$25,000 for emergency medical transportation, US$300 for prescribed medicines, US$1,000 for mental illness treatment and US$5,000 for repatriation of mortal remains.
The implementation question came into sharper focus at a stakeholder meeting convened by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, on August 20, 2026.
Government officials at the meeting, including Evelyn Cheluget, Director General of Immigration Services, and Amb. Isaac Ochieng, Director General of eCitizen, provided industry representatives with details of the proposed operating model.
Officials said the mandatory policy will cost US$44 per traveller and will, in some respects, mirror Zanzibar’s model. Travellers from eTA-required countries are expected to acquire the insurance alongside their eTA through the eTA platform, while those from eTA-exempt countries will obtain it through eCitizen. The policy is expected to be valid for 12 months, with differentiated rates for categories such as children.
Another significant clarification was that ordinary travel insurance purchased from an overseas insurer will not satisfy the Kenyan requirement. The mandatory cover must be issued through the approved Kenyan arrangement by an insurer regulated by the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA).
Industry Waiting for Clarity
For the travel industry, the immediate issue is implementation rather than the existence of the requirement.
Agents, airlines and tour operators need clarity on the purchasing process, verification, documentation, exemptions and enforcement, particularly because travel is sold weeks or months before passengers arrive in Kenya.
Association leaders, including KATA Chief Executive Officer, Nicanor Sabula, called for continued consultation and greater industry involvement in decisions affecting the travel-selling process. The argument is that businesses selling Kenya should be involved early enough to understand and communicate new requirements accurately.
The Government is expected to provide further guidance as the scheme moves towards implementation.
A Sensitive Market
The timing is important. Kenya received about 2.7 million international visitors in 2025, up from approximately 2.47 million in 2024, while tourism earnings reached about KSh500 billion.
The Government is targeting 5 million international visitors and KSh1 trillion in tourism earnings by 2027. For an industry competing with destinations across Africa and beyond, the travel trade wants new entry requirements to protect visitors without adding unnecessary friction to the process of coming to Kenya.
Could Kenya Follow Zanzibar?
Zanzibar introduced mandatory inbound travel insurance on October 1, 2024, requiring foreign visitors to obtain designated cover through the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. The policy costs US$44 per person and covers stays of up to 92 days.
The identical US$44 figure and the Government’s indication that Kenya’s system will mirror Zanzibar in some respects make the island an obvious regional comparison. The key similarity is the use of a designated destination-linked insurance arrangement rather than simply accepting any existing travel insurance.
For Kenya, this could mean travellers with comprehensive policies bought overseas would still need the mandatory Kenyan cover. The Government’s clarification that foreign-issued travel insurance will not satisfy the requirement makes the final purchasing and verification procedures particularly important for travel sellers.
A Wider Protection Question
The initiative also raises a broader policy question. If the objective is to protect travellers against the financial consequences of medical emergencies abroad, should a similar approach eventually cover Kenyans travelling outside the country?
Travel agents routinely handle outbound journeys to destinations where medical treatment can be costly. Extending the principle to outbound travel could turn the initiative from a border-entry requirement into a wider travel consumer-protection framework.
From Policy to Passenger
The August 20 meeting has provided the industry with key parameters: US$44, eTA and eCitizen integration, and mandatory cover through an approved Kenyan insurance arrangement.
What remains is the operational detail. The industry is waiting for formal guidance that clearly sets out how the policy will be bought, verified and enforced, and how different traveller categories and existing insurance arrangements will be handled.
For Kenya, the challenge is to introduce the intended protection while keeping the process predictable for passengers and practical for the businesses responsible for selling the destination.
