Photo: Angella Birungi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Comprehensive car insurance in Uganda
What it costs under IRA's minimum rates
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IRA's minimum rates for comprehensive motor cover
IRA's Approved Minimum Rate Guidelines list a minimum rate for each use of a vehicle, "net of any discounts except those strictly provided" in the guidelines. Non-life insurers may not charge below them without IRA's prior written approval (IRA study report).
| Vehicle and use | Minimum rate (% of value a year) | Own-damage excess (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| Motor private — saloons, station wagons, pick-ups | 4% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
| Saloons, station wagons, pick-ups in commercial use | 5% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
| Motorcycles | 10% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
| Tricycles | 5% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
| Lorries, prime movers, trailers, haulers | 6% | 10% of claim, UGX 500,000 |
| Petrol, gas and chemical tankers / other tankers | 7.5% / 6% | 10% of claim, UGX 500,000 |
| Buses of 14 passengers or more: PSV / private and school | 7.5% / 6% | 10% of claim, UGX 200,000 |
| Ambulances, hearses, farm and recovery vehicles | 4% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
| Road-registered mobile plant and construction vehicles | 3% | 10% of claim, UGX 500,000 |
| Driving schools | 5% | 10% of claim, UGX 100,000 |
For theft and total loss the excess is 15% of the claim, with the same minimum as the vehicle's own-damage excess. Windscreen claims carry a 20% excess.
Worked examples
All figures below are our calculations from the minimum rates, before the 0.5% training levy that is charged on premiums (IRA 2024 report).
| Case | Minimum premium a year (UGX) |
|---|---|
| Private car worth 40 million, 4% | 1,600,000 |
| Same car with a certified tracking system (15% discount) | 1,360,000 |
| Same car insured third party, fire and theft only (30% discount on the motor rate) | 1,120,000 |
| Same car with cover extended to East Africa and South Sudan (20% loading) | 1,920,000 |
| Car worth 40 million used as a taxi or for business, 5% | 2,000,000 |
| Motorcycle worth 5 million, 10% | 500,000 |
And the excess: if the private car above is repaired for UGX 5 million after an accident, you pay the first UGX 500,000 (10%); if it is stolen and not recovered, the excess is 15% of the claim — UGX 6 million on a UGX 40 million car.
Discounts and loadings the guidelines allow
- Anti-theft devices (with a certificate of installation): car alarm 5%, tracking system 15%.
- Fleet: at least ten vehicles of the same category (all private or all commercial) can get up to 10%.
- Higher excess: choosing a minimum excess of UGX 1–3 million allows a 10% discount, UGX 3.1–4 million 15%, UGX 4.1–5 million 25%; above UGX 5 million the rate goes to the rating committee.
- Geography: cover is for Uganda only unless extended — East Africa including South Sudan +20%, outside East Africa +30%. Driving into COMESA countries also needs the COMESA yellow card.
- Loss of use (optional): up to UGX 100,000 a day for a private car, 14 days at most, three-day excess, priced at 10% of the limit — UGX 140,000 for the full private limit (our calculation).
The third-party part of a comprehensive policy
A comprehensive policy also covers your liability to other people, with higher limits than the compulsory cover: the guidelines price it with third-party limits of UGX 10 million for bodily injury, 50 million in aggregate and 50 million for property damage. More is charged at 0.5% of the extra limit. The compulsory statutory cover alone stops at UGX 1 million per person and does not pay for damage to other cars — compare the two in third-party vs comprehensive.
A comprehensive policy comes with its own sticker, which the insurer must upload into the MTP system so police can see it: the Uganda Insurers Association advises reminding your insurer to upload it before you travel (UIA). The statutory price list is in how much third-party insurance costs.
Before you accept a quote
- Insure the car at its market value: the premium is a percentage of the value you declare, and a claim is paid on the value, minus the excess.
- Check that the use on the schedule matches reality (private, business, hire): the rate and the cover depend on it.
- Ask which excess applies to own damage, theft and the windscreen, and whether a higher excess lowers the premium.
- Check the insurer is on IRA's licensed list, pay the insurer (or its agent in the insurer's name), and keep the receipt.
- Compare at least two licensed insurers — you can ask for quotes here.
Already insured?
Next step
Frequently asked questions
How much is comprehensive car insurance in Uganda?
At least 4% of the car's value a year for a private saloon, station wagon or pick-up under IRA's minimum rates — UGX 1.6 million for a car worth UGX 40 million (our calculation) — plus the 0.5% training levy.
What is the excess on comprehensive insurance in Uganda?
Under IRA's guidelines, 10% of each own-damage claim with a minimum of UGX 100,000 for private cars, and 15% for theft and total loss; 20% on windscreen claims.
Can an insurer give me a lower rate than 4%?
Only through the discounts the guidelines allow (tracker 15%, alarm 5%, fleet up to 10%, higher excess) or with IRA's written approval; non-life insurers may not go below the approved minimum rates otherwise.
Does comprehensive insurance cover me in Kenya or Rwanda?
Not by default: the guidelines limit cover to Uganda unless it is extended to East Africa (20% loading). You also need a COMESA yellow card for third-party liability abroad.
Sources
- IRA Uganda — Approved Minimum Rate Guidelines 2019 (minimum premium rate guidelines)
- IRA Uganda — Effectiveness of minimum premium rates in Uganda's insurance sector, study report (November 2023)
- Insurance (Minimum Premium and Maximum Commission Rates) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 (S.I. 2023 No. 88) — IRA Uganda
- IRA Uganda — 2024 Annual Insurance Market Report (training levy, compulsory covers)
- Uganda Insurers Association — frequently asked questions on motor third party (MTP) insurance (seen October 2026)