Indian based and world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, Hero MotoCorp and its Kenya exclusive partner, Ryce East Africa have rolled out a personal accident cover for motorcycle riders which also covers boda bodas in Kenya, the first such cover by a motorcycle manufacturer in the region.
Ryce East Africa, which assembles the Hero brand of motorcycles from its Nairobi-based assembly plant, will now include a personal accident cover with every sale of Hero motorcycles under the “Kuwa HERO wa familia Yako Campaign”, the first personal insurance cover for all motorcycle riders, however not covering corporate customers, who will be included in the next phase
Motorcycle riders will have a cover of up to Sh400, 000 under which they will be covered for losses arising from death, permanent or temporary disability, injuries and medical treatment. This cover is being given free of cost and lasts for one year on every new motorcycle purchase from Ryce East Africa and its dealer network.
Hero MotoCorp’s Senior General Manager for Middle East and Africa Mr Ranjan Shivadey said that this is the first ever support provided to this community and he believes that an insurance cover for riders is an absolute essential criterion to promote safety on Kenyan roads.
On his part, Ryce East Africa managing director V.N. Srinivas said that the cover is a response to the growing economic importance of boda boda riders to the Kenyan economy who need protection from losses arising from accidents.
“Boda bodas are increasingly becoming the most preferred and used mode of transport in both urban and rural areas, while employing tens of thousands and contributing up to Sh400 million to the economy on a daily basis. This new product is designed to protect riders from financial losses arising from accidents,” he said.
Speaking during the launch of this scheme in Nairobi, NTSA’s Samwel Musumba welcomed the new venture, which he said will support one of the authority’s mandate of reducing losses to operators.
“We would like to commend Ryce and Hero Moto Corp for this new innovative offering which will ensure that there is a cushion for victims in the unfortunate event of an accident,” said Mr Musumba.
The personal cover will be provided by CIC Insurance in a partnership with Ryce Motors East Africa.
Ryce East Africa also distributes helmets, reflective jackets and other safety equipment to boda boda riders as part of the assembler’s corporate social responsibility initiatives.
