Kenya: Insurance Designed for Muslim Herders Makes First Payout in Kenya

Researchers in Kenya have developed a pioneering insurance policy for nomadic Muslim livestock herders, which has now delivered its first payout of approximately $5,800 to 101 farmers to compensate them for drought losses. The policy, which was purchased by about 4,000 pastoralists in Northern Kenya, was developed by the International Livestock Research Institute and commercially delivered by Takaful Insurance of Africa. Since the farmers usually habitat isolated areas, index-based insurance works better than traditional insurance. For Takaful Insurance of Africa, the project is a leap of faith, as they are not currently making a profit. However, hopes are the project will eventually be self-sustaining.