APA Insurance has launched a new product that promises to offer an all-inclusive cover for the hospitality industry. The service, dubbed Ukarimu Bora (Great Hospitality), is the first of its kind in the region. According to the firm, the package is designed to cater for all the insurance needs of Hotels, Pubs and Restaurants within the region.

Client-Oriented Product

“We want to be the leader in products that are client-oriented,” said the Company’s Head of Products Development, Adelaide Odhiambo Kirinya. Speaking during the official launch of the cover at the Hilton Nairobi on Thursday 25^th October, 2012, Kirinya noted that the product would cover Property Damage, Business Interruption, Money and personal assault, Fidelity Guarantee, Plate Glass, Work Injury Benefits Act, Employer's Liability, Public Liability, Book Debts and Goods in Transit.

The product promises a minimum policy excess of KES 20,000 for damaged property and a standard limit in case of losses for up to KES 20 million.

“An insurance policy that covers the owner of the business, the employees, property and the patrons all in one is what every investor in the industry needs and this will definitely help  the industry to grow with confidence”, said Pubs Entertainment and Restaurant Association of Kenya (PERAK) CEO, Lillian Kalela.

APA’s official press release notes that the package will also offer an optional cover for all risks involving accidental loss or damage to specified portable items, as well as terrorism and political violence cover against loss or damage emanating from such events.

Convenient Servicing

“Through Ukarimu Bora, our clients will enjoy the convenience of a single insurance policy that will provide wide protection as standard and eliminate the hassle of dealing with multiple policies with different renewal dates,” said APA CEO, Simon Clayton at the breakfast briefing earlier today.

APA has also developed a system which will enable clients to make sense of what would otherwise be termed as insurance jargon. The firm has assured its clients that the policies will be simplified so that any potential consumer will understand the terms and conditions.

“We have designed a Proposal Form which forms a basis for quotation,” said Kirinya noting that the document would enable clients to easily acquire data on matters of cost, claims and excesses.

Endorsed by PERAK

Ukarimu Bora has received approval from PERAK. According to the Association's CEO, Lillian Kalela, Ukarimu Bora will serve as a milestone for the sector. “We have never had insurers covering our industry,” she said. “We have always relied on general insurance policies.”

Kalela mentioned that insurance in the hospitality sector, had been a hassle in the past due to the high number of policies to choose from. She said that the Ukarimu Bora cover would change that.

Soon to Target Shops and Property Owners

Speaking to Pesatalk during a one on one interview, Clayton noted that APA also plans to target shops, ranging from hair salons to hardware stores, in order to provide them with full general covers.

“After retail, we’ll probably move on to property owners,” he said, noting that the firm intends to supply a package cover for all their buildings across the board. Clayton added that APA Insurance plans to release one new product every quarter, continuing in 2013, starting with this quarter’s Ukarimu Bora launch.

Ukarimu Bora will, once again, mark the company as a pioneer in its sector a few years after the firm became the first regional insurer to underwrite a HIV/ AIDS cover.