Insurance firms increase capital cushion by Sh25bnIRA has indicated recently that the minimum capitalisation threshold could go up again to encourage more insurance companies to form bigger and more stable firms through mergers. The regulator’s report showed the life insurance sector recorded the biggest capital growth, jumping 72 per cent from Sh14.08 billion to Sh24.26 billion. General insurers increased their capital by 36.5 per cent from Sh31.32 billion to Sh42.74 billion in the same period. Life reinsurance saw the capital base from Sh1.74 billion to Sh2.79 billion, a 60.5 per cent increase, while in the general re-insurance business capital rose 24.1 per cent from Sh11.78 billion to Sh14.62 billion.
Assets“The industry’s gross written insurance premiums amounted to Sh36.4 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2013, representing an increase of 16.7 per cent from Sh31.2 billion recorded by the end of the same period in 2012,” said the regulator.
The premium income reported under life insurance business amounted to Sh10.9 billion while general business premiums were Sh25.5 billion by March 2013.
At the same time, the insurance industry assets grew by 29.2 per cent from Sh256.8 as at March 2012 to Sh331.8 billion in March 2013. In the same period, industry liabilities increased by 25 per cent to Sh247.4 billion.