Kenya's Senate has directed insurance companies to pay all pending compensation claims to police officers injured in the line of duty. The order came during a committee meeting on October 30, 2025, amid frustration over long delays. Lawmakers gave the firms 14 days to comply.
On Thursday, October 30, 2025, the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare issued a strong directive to insurance companies contracted to cover police officers. The committee, chaired by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo, ordered the release of all claims approved by the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS). This move addresses hundreds of unsettled claims from officers who suffered life-changing injuries years ago.
Dullo emphasized the urgency, stating, “We are ordering you to pay the claims, and that is a must. It is not a request, and it must be done before the next meeting. We have given you 14 days to provide us with an updated list.” Lawmakers voiced outrage over the delays, noting that some officers injured during the previous regime remain uncompensated after over five years. “These officers’ salaries are minimal. They get injured, then sadly, they wait for over five years to be compensated. We must be humane and help them get out of the challenges they are facing,” Dullo added.
The insurers reported paying Ksh1.075 billion to officers as of October 2025 but faced criticism for unnecessary and inhumane delays. The issue persists from earlier years; in 2024, the National Police Service Commission urged the then National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), now Social Health Authority (SHA), to expedite settlements. Between 2021 and 2022, 1,756 claims from Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) were submitted to NHIF, with only 937 settled. The Work Injury Benefits Act requires settlements within 90 days.
The committee also resolved to advocate for legal amendments to enforce timely payments by insurance firms.