COMESA YELLOW CARD IN KENYA

Are you planning to visit one or more neighboring COMESA countries for pleasure or business? Will you be driving yourself during this trip? If yes, then you need to prepare adequately to ensure a hassle free transit in the foreign countries. COMESA is the Common Market For East and Southern Africa bringing together a number of countries under this geographical area to be able to enjoy economic benefits as a block. Among the things you need when driving to a COMESA country are a valid driving license, valid passport, a vehicle that's in good condition and is adequately insured with a valid sticker displayed on the vehicle as proof of insurance.

In most COMESA countries, it is mandatory for any vehicle on a public road, including transiting vehicles, to have a third party only insurance cover. To meet this requirement, a COMESA Yellow Card is usually issued by an insurance company prior to starting the trip.

So what is this COMESA Yellow card? It is a third party motor vehicle insurance scheme, which is valid in all the participating countries as evidence of guarantee in compliance with the national laws or regulations governing third party liability in respect of motor vehicle accidents. The cover is normally processed and settled under third party liability.

It is an extension of an primary motor cover and is applicable in all participating countries except the card holder's country of origin or rather the country in which the primary motor cover was taken in. The yellow card is issued by the same insurance company that issued the vehicle's primary cover and it is valid only for the period that the primary cover is valid for. When one has an insurance policy from Kenya, they cannot get an extension from another country, say in Uganda.

COMESA countries

The list of countries in the COMESA bloc is as follows:

• Burundi
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Kenya
• Malawi
• Rwanda
• Uganda
• Tanzania
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The Yellow card covers third-party liabilities and medical expenses for the driver of the vehicle and his passengers should they suffer any bodily injury as a result of an accident to an insured vehicle.

As this card is valid in many parts of the region and has one standard look for uniformity, transporters and motorists do not have to buy insurance cover at each border post they cross. It therefore facilitates cross border movement of vehicles between COMESA member countries.

About 150 insurance companies in the region are involved in the operation of the scheme and issue about 50,000 cards annually.

The types of motor insurance policies applicable for the Yellow Card cover are:

1. Private car
2. Motorcycle
3. Commercial vehicle insurance policies

Should say a Kenyan traveller be involved in an accident in Zambia and he has his yellow card, he will report the incident to the Zambian Yellow Card National Bureau, which the focal point (often an insurance company) representing all the insurance companies issuing Yellow Cards, and the traffic police. The claim is then processed according to the laws and regulations of that country. The bureau later recovers the money from the insurer who issued the yellow card if the indemnity does not exceed $15,000. If it is above $15,000, a reinsurance pool pays the indemnity.

How much does it cost?

The cost of the COMESA yellow card depends on two main factors, the duration of travel and how many passengers will be undertaking the trip. For a longer trip carrying several passengers, the price will typically be higher. The rates start as low KSh 1,500 and all the way up to KSh 9,000 for a single traveller driving around the COMESA region for up to a year.

Are you looking for COMESA yellow card insurance? Give us a call or simply start an online chat with our insurance experts to assist you get covered. You can also check out related products like the car insurance covers to get a good deal on your policy