Britam General Insurance has unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered motor assessment service that promises to settle eligible claims within two hours, positioning the insurer at the forefront of digital disruption in Kenya’s motor insurance market.
The new facility, branded the Britam AI Motor Assessment Service, is located at Britam Centre in Nairobi and targets comprehensive motor insurance policyholders whose vehicles have sustained minor damage. The service introduces a drive-through assessment model that digitises the traditionally paper-heavy claims process and significantly compresses turnaround times.
According to the insurer, customers arriving at the assessment centre have their vehicles photographed and assessed using AI in approximately 15 minutes. A digital claim form is then sent directly to the policyholder’s mobile phone for completion, eliminating the need for physical documentation, scanning and manual submissions that have long characterised motor claims processing.
The completed form undergoes internal review within 30 minutes, after which settlement is executed within an hour. Payments can be made via direct bank transfer, M-Pesa, or through issuance of a repair authority to one of Britam’s approved garages. The end-to-end target, from arrival to resolution, is two hours.
Challenging Industry Norms
James Mbithi, Chief Executive Officer of Britam General Insurance, said the launch represents a fundamental shift in how the insurer delivers on its policy commitments.
“Today, five working days is not good enough for our customers,” Mr Mbithi said. “We have launched a capability that assesses accident vehicles using AI and pays the customer within two hours. In the future, we will be looking at how to scale this up so that a customer can do it at the scene of the accident, wherever they are.”
In Kenya’s motor insurance segment, claims settlement timelines have historically been a point of friction between insurers and policyholders. The standard processing period of up to five working days often extends further in cases requiring additional documentation, dispute resolution or physical verification of damage.
By reducing this window to hours, Britam is signalling a broader competitive shift in the sector, where insurers are increasingly leveraging digital tools to differentiate service delivery in a crowded market.
Addressing Fraud and Disputes
Motor insurance remains one of the most fraud-prone lines of business in Kenya. Industry data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority shows that insurance firms declined 22,364 compensation claims worth Ksh 658.9 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone. A portion of these rejections involved suspected fraud and improper documentation.
Fraudulent practices in the segment commonly include manipulated accident photographs, exaggerated damage descriptions and inflated repair quotations. These practices have contributed to rising loss ratios and underwriting pressures across the industry, ultimately affecting pricing and profitability.
Britam says its AI-powered system directly addresses these vulnerabilities through three integrated models.
The first is a vehicle object detection model that validates image authenticity and confirms the correct side of the vehicle being photographed. This is designed to reduce the risk of recycled or tampered images being submitted as evidence.
The second is a damage detection model that applies computer vision to classify the type, severity and specific components affected by the damage. By standardising assessment criteria, the insurer aims to reduce subjectivity and inconsistencies associated with manual inspections.
The third is a price discovery engine that aggregates real-time data from parts suppliers and repairers to generate localised cost estimates. This feature is intended to curb inflated repair quotations by anchoring settlement values to market-based pricing benchmarks.
Together, these systems seek to reduce the three most common fraud vectors in Kenya’s motor insurance market: manipulated photographs, inflated repair costs and inconsistent damage assessments.
Mr Mbithi noted that the AI platform enhances precision beyond what the human eye can reliably detect, while providing data-backed assessments that reduce disputes between the insurer and policyholders.
Built on Existing Digital Infrastructure
The new service was developed and incubated at BetaLab, Britam’s internal innovation hub. However, the AI layer builds on a longer-term digital transformation strategy within the group.
Britam says it has operated a structured, data-driven assessment framework for over five years, tracking spare parts prices and using analytics to inform assessor decisions. The AI deployment effectively overlays automation and machine learning onto this established data architecture.
This approach reflects a broader shift within Kenya’s financial services sector, where insurers, banks and asset managers are accelerating digital adoption to improve operational efficiency, enhance customer experience and manage risk.
For motor insurers in particular, faster claims processing not only improves customer satisfaction but also reduces administrative costs and the capital strain associated with prolonged claim reserves.
Scope and Limitations
For now, the AI Motor Assessment Service is limited to vehicles that are driveable and have sustained minor damage. It is also restricted to holders of comprehensive motor insurance policies, excluding third-party-only cover.
The service is currently available only at the Nairobi-based assessment centre, though the company has indicated intentions to scale the capability. Mr Mbithi said future enhancements could enable customers to initiate AI-based assessments directly at the scene of an accident, regardless of location.
If successfully scaled, such a model could significantly alter the claims landscape by decentralising assessment and accelerating settlement cycles across the country.
Implications for the Motor Insurance Market
Kenya’s motor insurance segment accounts for a substantial share of general insurance premiums but has historically faced profitability challenges due to high claims ratios, fraud exposure and price competition.
The integration of AI-driven assessment tools could contribute to improved underwriting discipline and more predictable claims costs. By tightening fraud controls and standardising valuation processes, insurers may achieve better risk pricing and margin stability.
At the same time, faster settlements could raise customer expectations industry-wide, potentially compelling competitors to adopt similar technologies to remain competitive.
For policyholders, the shift signals a move toward more transparent and predictable claims outcomes, with reduced paperwork and shorter waiting periods.
As insurers navigate rising claims volumes and evolving consumer expectations, technology-driven solutions such as Britam’s AI Motor Assessment Service are likely to play a growing role in shaping the sector’s operational and competitive dynamics.
