Life Cover Compared

Term vs Whole vs Group vs Education

The four main types of life & savings cover in Kenya — what each one covers, what it typically costs a month, and which is right for your family or business.

Which life insurance do I need?

In short: choose Term Life for the cheapest way to protect your family for a set period; Whole Life if you want cover that never expires plus a savings pot; an Education Plan to save for school or university fees with cover built in; and Group Life if you are an employer covering staff. Most Kenyan families start with affordable term cover and add savings or whole-life later.

Feature
Term Life
Cheapest protection
Whole Life
Lifelong + savings
Group Life
Employer-provided
Education Plan
Save for fees
Tax-free lump sum to beneficiaries on death
Cover lasts your whole life (never expires)
Builds cash value / savings
Guaranteed maturity payoutEndowment
Savings goal still funded if you die mid-term
Who pays the premiumYouYouEmployerYou
Typical monthly costFrom ~KSh 1,000From ~KSh 2,500Employer-paidFrom ~KSh 3,000
Medical underwritingOften just a questionnaireQuestionnaire / basic medicalFree-cover limit — no medicalsUsually a questionnaire
Minimum to start1 life1 life5+ employees1 saver
Best forAffordable family protectionLifelong cover + forced savingsEmployers covering staffSaving for school & university fees
View Term LifeView Whole LifeView Group LifeView Education Plan

Monthly figures are illustrative placeholders; life premiums vary heavily by age, health, sum assured, and smoker status. We send firm, age-rated quotes on request.

Which should you choose?

Choose Term Life if…

You want the most cover for the lowest premium, for a set period — for example while you have young children, a mortgage, or a business loan.

Term Life

Choose Whole Life if…

You want cover that never expires and a cash value you can borrow against, and you are comfortable paying more for that certainty.

Whole Life

Choose an Education Plan if…

Your priority is saving for a child's school or university fees, with the savings protected if you die before the fees are due.

Education Plan

Choose Group Life if…

You are an employer who wants to give staff a high-impact life-cover benefit (from about 5 employees), paid by the company.

Group Life
Want a concrete figure to start with? See KSh 1 Million term life cover from about KSh 1,200 a month for a healthy 30-year-old non-smoker (illustrative).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between term life and whole life in Kenya?+

Term life covers you for a fixed period (e.g. 10 or 20 years) and pays out only if you die during that term — it is the cheapest cover per shilling but has no cash value. Whole life lasts your entire lifetime, always pays out eventually, and builds a cash value you can borrow against — but it costs considerably more for the same sum assured. Term suits pure protection on a budget; whole life suits lifelong cover plus forced savings.

Which life insurance is cheapest in Kenya?+

Term life is the cheapest, because it is pure protection with no savings element — cover can start from around KSh 1,000 a month for a healthy young adult. Whole life and education savings plans cost more because part of every premium funds a cash value or maturity benefit.

How much does life insurance cost in Kenya?+

It depends on the type and on your age, health, and smoker status. As an illustration: term life from about KSh 1,000/month, whole life from about KSh 2,500/month, and education savings plans from about KSh 3,000/month. Group life is paid by the employer. These are illustrative starting points — we send firm, age-rated quotes on request.

What is group life assurance and who is it for?+

Group life assurance is life cover an employer takes out on all its staff, paying a multiple of salary (typically 1–5×) to an employee's beneficiaries on death. The employer pays the premium (tax-deductible), and there are usually no individual medicals up to a free-cover limit. It suits employers from about 5 employees who want a high-impact staff benefit.

Is an education savings plan worth it versus a normal savings account?+

On pure return, money-market funds or Sacco savings often do better. What an education plan adds is protection: if the contributing parent dies or is permanently disabled, premiums are waived and the fund still matures in full for the child. For fees you cannot afford to miss, that protection is the point.

Can I have more than one life policy?+

Yes. There is no legal limit, and many people layer policies — for example affordable term cover for family protection, plus an education plan for school fees, plus any group cover from work. We help structure the right mix so you are neither over- nor under-insured.

Are life insurance payouts taxed in Kenya?+

Under current Kenyan tax law, life assurance lump sums paid to nominated beneficiaries are generally not subject to income tax. We do not give tax advice — confirm your specific situation with a tax adviser.

How do I choose between term, whole, group, and education cover?+

Start with the need: pure family protection on a budget → term life; lifelong cover and savings → whole life; saving for a child's fees → education plan; covering employees → group life. Most families begin with affordable term cover (e.g. a KSh 1M policy) and add savings or whole-life cover later. Tell us your situation on WhatsApp and we'll recommend the right mix.

Still not sure which life cover you need?

Tell us about your family, budget, and goals and we'll recommend the right mix and compare quotes from Kenya's leading life insurers.

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