The Ministry of Health has clarified that foreign travellers entering Kenya will not be required to purchase a new travel health insurance policy if they already have valid cover that meets the country's minimum requirements, following concerns raised after the recent gazettement of mandatory travel insurance rules.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a clarification issued on Friday, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said travellers with compliant travel health insurance obtained in their home countries will only be required to upload proof of the policy through Kenya's Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system before travelling.

"Any traveller who possesses travel health insurance from their country of origin, provided it meets the insurable value as per Gazette Notice No. 11492 dated 30th July 2026, should upload it in the Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system," the ministry stated.

The clarification follows the publication of Gazette Notice No. 11492, which prescribed the minimum benefits and coverage limits for mandatory travel health insurance required for non-Kenyans staying in Kenya for less than 12 months under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.

📌 What You Need to Know

The ministry maintained that the insurance requirement is not a new policy but is anchored in Section 26(6) of the Social Health Insurance Act and Regulation 70 of the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024, which require non-Kenyan visitors to possess travel health insurance.

However, the government clarified that visitors without qualifying insurance before departure will still be allowed to obtain a compliant policy upon arrival at Kenya's designated points of entry from insurers licensed under the Insurance Act.

The Department of Immigration Services will enforce the requirement by verifying proof of insurance through the existing eTA platform before travel and, where necessary, at ports of entry before granting visitors access into the country.

Under the prescribed minimum benefits, travellers must have medical cover of up to US$20,000 (Ksh2.59 million), emergency medical transportation worth US$25,000 (Ksh3.23 million), prescribed medicines valued at US$300 (Ksh38,787), mental health treatment of up to US$1,000 (Ksh129,290) and repatriation of mortal remains worth US$5,000 (Ksh646,450).

The total policy benefit must not be less than US$50,000, equivalent to about Ksh6.46 million, while the cover must be provided by insurers approved and licensed under Kenya's Insurance Act .

The clarification comes amid growing debate over the implementation of the mandatory travel insurance programme, with consumer lobby COFEK having moved to court seeking to suspend its rollout, arguing that the process was unconstitutional and lacked transparency.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke