Insuring Your Car, Piece by Piece
Despite the fact that every private vehicle owner should have it, vehicle cover can become a burden. Potential policy holders sometimes fail to realize that a so called comprehensive vehicle insurance scheme is, in reality, a very selective cover.
Car parts are insured as individual pieces, even if the cover appears to be absolute. The parts themselves must meet a set of requirements before any insurance company can sign off on a policy. Factors to consider are the vehicle’s year of manufacture, make and model, engine and chassis number, seating capacity and its estimated value.
A brand new vehicle will cost significantly less to insure than an older model. This is based on the assumption that an older vehicle has been in use for some time and could have been damaged over the course of time. The actual insurance fee depends on the total current value of the car.
Some drivers assume that a comprehensive cover will include every single part that was used to build the vehicle. Few, if any, companies offer such a cover. Below are some of the parts that top the list:
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Damaged Windscreen: Full cover for up to KES 30,000[/caption]
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Tyres: Gateway covers full replacement up to KES 10,000 and the owner pays 10% of the insured value for anything above the limit[/caption]
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UAP and Jubilee provide full cover up to a limit of KES 30,000[/caption]
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Alloy Rims (and other accessories): UAP gives a full cover for rims and other accessories like side mirrors and small vehicle parts[/caption]
Below is a list of vehicle parts and companies that offer comprehensive insurance:
| Gateway Insurance | Jubilee Insurance | UAP Insurance | |
| Engine and Repairs | No fixed rate (An assessor calculates the cost of repairs and then determines how much cover the driver gets) | No fixed rate (An assessor calculates the cost of repairs and then determines how much cover the driver gets) | No fixed rate (An assessor calculates the cost of repairs and then determines how much cover the driver gets) |
| Wind Screen | Cover caters for full replacement up to KES 30,000 or the driver pays 10% of the insured value for anything above | Cover caters for full replacement up to KES 30,000 | Cover caters for full replacement up to KES 30,000 or the driver pays 10% of the insured value for anything above |
| Tyres | Cover caters for full replacement up to a limit of KES 10,000 or the driver pays 20% of insured value for anything above | Not covered | Not covered |
| Windows | Cover caters for full replacement up to a limit of KES 30,000 or the driver pays 10% of the insured value for anything above | Not covered | Not covered |
| Entertainment System | Cover caters for full replacement up to a limit of KES 30,000 or the driver pays 10% of the insured value for anything above | Cover caters for full replacement up to KES 30,000 | Cover caters for full replacement up to KES 30,000 |
| Alloy Rims, Side Mirrors and other Accessories | Cover caters for full replacement up to a limit of KES 10,000 or the driver pays 10% of insured value for anything above | Full replacement under the comprehensive cover | Driver pays 10% of the value while |
