Photo: Daryona, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Types of insurance in Uganda
The classes IRA regulates, with 2025 premiums
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Life and non-life: the two families
Section 6 of the Insurance Act, 2017 says insurance business "comprises life insurance business and non-life insurance business". A company is licensed for one or the other: IRA's August 2026 list has 9 life insurers and 19 non-life insurers, plus 4 micro-insurers, one takaful operator and one HMO. In 2025 the two families were almost the same size: UGX 1,001,535.0 million of non-life premium and 978,535.8 million of life premium in the summary of IRA's Q4 2025 workbook.
Non-life (general) insurance: 14 classes
Gross written premium for 2025 by class, summed from the company rows of IRA's Non life sheet (our calculation; they add up to the sheet's total of UGX 1,001,535.0 million):
| Class | Premium 2025 (UGX million) | Share of non-life | What it covers / our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | 216,381.6 | 21.6% | Third-party (compulsory) and comprehensive — motor insurance |
| Fire | 199,054.9 | 19.9% | Buildings, stock and contents — home and property |
| Health & medical | 162,656.2 | 16.2% | Medical cover from general insurers — health insurance |
| Engineering | 102,027.5 | 10.2% | Contractors' and machinery risks |
| Personal accident | 71,864.8 | 7.2% | Lump sums for accidental death or injury |
| Miscellaneous | 71,776.2 | 7.2% | Other covers not classed elsewhere |
| Liability | 41,509.4 | 4.1% | Public, product and professional liability |
| Marine | 39,645.1 | 4.0% | Imported goods and cargo |
| Aviation | 29,544.9 | 2.9% | Aircraft and airline risks |
| Theft | 23,515.8 | 2.3% | Burglary and theft of property |
| Workers' compensation | 17,555.4 | 1.8% | Employer's liability (compulsory) — business insurance |
| Bond | 16,877.7 | 1.7% | Guarantees such as bid and performance bonds |
| Agricultural | 8,893.1 | 0.9% | Crops and livestock |
| Energy | 232.2 | 0.02% | Oil, gas and energy risks |
Life insurance: 6 classes
From IRA's Life sheet for 2025 (UGX million; the classes add up to 979,728.0 million in that sheet, while the workbook's summary prints 978,535.8 million):
| Class | Premium 2025 (UGX million) | Share of life | Typical policies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual life | 457,370.0 | 46.7% | Savings, endowment and education policies, whole life, funeral |
| Health/medical | 267,305.0 | 27.3% | Medical cover sold by life insurers — health insurance companies |
| Others (DAP, unit-linked and non-linked) | 100,545.3 | 10.3% | Deposit administration and investment-linked plans |
| Group credit | 91,749.3 | 9.4% | Repays a loan if the borrower dies |
| Group life | 51,077.2 | 5.2% | Life cover arranged by an employer |
| Annuities / personal pensions | 11,681.1 | 1.2% | Regular income in retirement |
More on choosing and cancelling a life policy in life insurance in Uganda.
Which types of insurance are compulsory in Uganda
| Cover | Who must have it | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Motor third-party | Every vehicle used on a road (government vehicles exempt) | Motor Vehicle Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act, s.2 — price list |
| Workers' compensation | Every employer | Workers Compensation Act, Cap. 225, s.18 — details |
| Local insurance of local risks | Anyone insuring persons, assets, vehicles or imports in Uganda | Insurance Act, 2017, s.9(3) — the Act explained |
IRA's 2024 market report names motor third-party and workers' compensation as the compulsory covers. A lender may also require cover — comprehensive motor on a car loan, property insurance on a mortgage, credit life on a loan — as a condition of the contract rather than of the law.
Other kinds of providers
- Health membership organisations (HMOs) sell prepaid health plans under their own licence (Insurance Act, section 35); CASE Med is the authorised HMO for 2026 (IRA).
- Micro-insurers sell small, simple covers: the four micro-insurers in IRA's 2025 figures wrote UGX 7,334.0 million, of which Turaco 4,795.3 million (IRA workbook) — see the Turaco profile.
- Takaful general insurance: Tamini General Insurance Uganda Limited holds the takaful licence (IRA list).
- Brokers and agents sell but do not carry the risk: IRA's 2026 list of brokers.
Travelling or driving abroad? See travel insurance and the COMESA yellow card.
Which types of insurance does a household or a business need?
Start from what the law requires, then from what would ruin you if it happened:
| You are… | Required by law | Worth considering | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| A car or boda boda owner | Motor third-party | Comprehensive (own damage and theft), higher third-party limits, personal accident for the rider | Third party vs comprehensive |
| A family | — | Medical cover, life cover for whoever earns the income, an education plan, home contents | Health insurance, life insurance |
| An employer | Workers' compensation for every employee | Fire and theft for premises and stock, public liability, staff medical and group life | Business insurance quotes |
| A taxi or bus operator | Third-party for the use (PSV), with the per-seat premium | Personal accident for the driver, comprehensive | Commercial vehicles |
| An importer | Imported goods insured with a Ugandan insurer (Insurance Act s.9) | Marine cargo cover for the whole journey | The Insurance Act |
Whatever the type, buy from a company on IRA's list, pay the insurer (never cash to an individual), keep the policy schedule, and know the claim deadlines in IRA's claims guide: acknowledgement within 3 working days, payment within 10 working days of the signed discharge for claims up to UGX 10 million.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the types of insurance in Uganda?
Life and non-life. IRA reports 14 non-life classes (motor, fire, health, engineering, personal accident, liability, marine, aviation, theft, workers' compensation, bond, agricultural, energy, miscellaneous) and 6 life classes (individual life, health, group credit, group life, annuities, investment-linked).
Which insurance is compulsory in Uganda?
Motor third-party insurance for every vehicle on the road and workers' compensation insurance for every employer. Imported goods and other local risks must also be insured with an insurer licensed in Uganda.
What is the most common type of insurance in Uganda?
By premium, individual life (UGX 457,370.0 million in 2025) among life classes, and motor (216,381.6 million) among non-life classes, in IRA's Q4 2025 workbook (our sums for motor).
Sources
- IRA Uganda — Industry Performance Q4 2025, life and non-life workbook (Summary, Non life, Life, HMO's and Micro insurance sheets)
- Insurance Act, 2017 — IRA Uganda
- IRA Uganda — Insurance companies perpetually licensed (August 2026)
- IRA Uganda — 2024 Annual Insurance Market Report (training levy, compulsory covers)
- IRA Uganda — authorised health membership organisations 2026
- Motor Vehicle Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act — ULII
- Workers Compensation Act, Cap. 225 — IRA Uganda
- IRA Uganda — Guide to Insurance Claims (2025)