EIRS has announced plans to significantly expanded its Kenya team by more than 60% by the end of Q3, in line with its broader strategy to strengthen client experience, deepen specialist advisory capabilities, and respond to the increasingly complex risk environment facing businesses across East Africa.
The expansion comes at a time when companies across the region are dealing with mounting operational pressures, from climate-related disruptions and cyber threats to supply chain instability and regulatory shifts.
As a result, businesses are increasingly looking beyond traditional insurance coverage and seeking partners that can provide faster response times, sector-specific expertise, and more proactive risk guidance.
Risk landscape
Kenya, East Africa’s leading financial and logistics hub, continues to play a central role in this shift. According to the Association of Kenya Insurers, Kenya’s insurance penetration stood at approximately 2.3% in recent years, remaining below the global average despite growing awareness around risk management and financial protection.
At the same time, Africa’s insurance market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 11% over the next decade, driven by urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, digital transformation, and rising business awareness around operational resilience.
Talent-driven growth
For EIRS, the latest recruitment drive is not simply about increasing headcount. It is about building specialised capabilities closer to clients and improving how businesses experience insurance and risk advisory services on a day-to-day basis.
The expanded team will support faster client response times, stronger relationship management, offer more tailored advisory support, and tap deeper expertise across sectors including financial services, logistics, infrastructure, agriculture, and technology.
“Businesses today are operating in a far more unpredictable environment than they were a few years ago,” said Abhishek Jain, chief executive officer, EIRS. “Clients within East Africa are no longer looking for insurers that only respond after a loss occurs. They want partners who understand their industries, identify risks early, and help them build resilience before disruptions happen. The future of insurance in Africa will belong to firms that combine advisory expertise, responsiveness, and sector intelligence.”
Transforming risk intelligence
Industry observers note that the insurance sector across Africa is undergoing a broader transformation, with firms increasingly competing on expertise and client experience rather than product offerings alone. This shift is also intensifying demand for experienced insurance and risk professionals capable of supporting increasingly specialised client needs.
“Talent is becoming one of the biggest competitive differentiators in the industry,” said Christine Gikunda, principal officer, EIRS Kenya. “Clients expect quicker decisions, deeper engagement, and advisors who understand the realities of their sectors. Building strong local teams allows firms to move closer to clients and deliver more practical, insight-led support.”
EIRS Kenya expansion and investment in the region, which follows the scaling up of operations in Zambia and Malawi, forms part of a longer-term regional growth strategy that includes strengthening specialist advisory capabilities and enhancing service delivery across Africa.
The expansion also comes as East Africa positions itself as a growing hub for technology, trade, and AI-driven innovation, highlighted by major platforms such as GTR East Africa, GITEX Kenya and AI Everything, where conversations around digital transformation are accelerating demand for smarter, data-driven risk and insurance solutions.
As economic activity accelerates across the region, insurers are increasingly being judged not just by the policies they provide, but by how effectively they help businesses navigate emerging risks.
