Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) Review - Halal Finance Products
Reviewed quarterly and updated for major content changes.
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) offers halal financial products and services designed to align with Islamic principles. These options provide alternatives to conventional interest-based financial products, using structures like Murabaha, Ijara, and Musharakah.
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HalalWallet 2026 Review
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) - At a Glance
7
Products Reviewed
All
Counties (Nationwide)
2
Categories
Our Verdict
TIA is the default takaful answer in Kenya because it is effectively the only answer: no other IRA-licensed takaful operator exists, and the claimed takaful windows at conventional insurers (Kenindia, Jubilee) do not survive verification. Within that monopoly position TIA is genuinely credible - a named international Shariah council, a documented Ushirika surplus-sharing model, and a broad product shelf spanning general, medical and pension lines. Pricing transparency is the weak spot: no rates are published online, and quotes go through branches and intermediaries. The pending 65% acquisition by Djibouti's Tamini Insurance S.A. (Salaam African Bank group) may bring capital but adds ownership uncertainty worth watching.
Pros & Cons
What We Like
- Only IRA-licensed takaful operator in Kenya, verified against the gazetted 2026 licensee list
- Four named Shariah scholars with international standing, plus internal Shariah compliance and audit
- Broad shelf: general, medical, travel (Hajj/Umrah), personal accident and an RBA-registered pension
- Documented surplus distribution policy in the published FAQ
- Regional reach including Somalia operations, with claims settlement standard of 14 working days
What Could Be Better
- No premiums, rates or contribution tables published online; quotes are intermediated
- No family takaful life-savings products in the published shelf (Kenya has no licensed family takaful operator)
- Annual reports and surplus distribution amounts are not published on the website
- Ownership transition to Tamini Insurance S.A. (CAK approval December 2025) is still unfolding
Who Is Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) Best For?
Muslim motorists and homeowners
The only licensed way to insure a car or home through a takaful pool in Kenya
Employers with Muslim staff
Afya Takaful group medical plus the RBA-registered Takaful Umbrella Fund pension in one relationship
Hajj and Umrah pilgrims
A dedicated travel takaful line covering the pilgrimage journey
Detailed Analysis
Takaful Insurance of Africa launched in Kenya in 2011 (incorporated 2008) as the country's first fully-fledged takaful operator, backed at inception by the Cooperative Insurance Company (CIC) group. It remains, fifteen years later, the only takaful operator licensed by the Insurance Regulatory Authority: the IRA's gazetted list of licensed insurers for 2026 shows TIA as the sole takaful entry, and our crawl of Kenindia's and Jubilee's sites found no takaful window at either. That makes TIA less a market leader than the market itself for Shariah-compliant general insurance in Kenya.
The model is the classic Wakalah-based cooperative: participants' contributions enter a mutual pool (TIA brands it Ushirika, Swahili for cooperation), the operator earns a disclosed management fee, the pool pays claims, and any underwriting surplus belongs to participants, who may receive it, donate it or leave it to reduce future contributions. TIA's FAQ addresses surplus directly, which most African takaful literature does not. What is not published is the surplus actually distributed in any given year, so participants cannot verify the promise against history.
The product shelf is broad for a single operator: motor (comprehensive and third party), Afya Takaful group medical, Manzili domestic package, travel takaful including a dedicated Hajj and Umrah line, personal accident, WIBA, marine cargo, engineering, contractors' and general liability, and performance bonds. On the retirement side, the Takaful Umbrella Fund appears on the RBA's register of umbrella retirement benefits schemes (verified 31 January 2026), giving employers a Shariah-compliant occupational pension option administered under takaful principles.
Governance is TIA's strongest card. The Shari'ah Supervisory Council names four scholars: Dr. Ahcene Lahsasna (chairman, CEO of Salihin Shariah Advisory in Malaysia), Dr. Ibrahim Bulushi (CEO/Secretary of the Wakf Commissioners of Kenya), Sheikh Hammad Mohamed Kassim (chair of National Bank of Kenya's Sharia advisory council) and Sheikh Taha bin Hasan Abdul-Basser (independent scholar and Shariah compliance reviewer since 1998). An internal Shariah compliance function audits operations between council reviews. The ownership picture is changing: in December 2025 the Competition Authority of Kenya approved the acquisition of 65% of TIA by Tamini Insurance S.A. of Djibouti, part of the Salaam African Bank group, which explains the recurring but incorrect claim that 'Salaam Takaful' operates in Kenya.
How It Works
TIA runs a Wakalah-based takaful model it brands Ushirika: participants contribute to a shared risk pool with the intention of mutual assistance (tabarru), TIA manages the pool for a disclosed agency fee, and pool assets are invested only in Shariah-compliant instruments. Claims are paid from the pool; underwriting surplus after claims and reserves belongs to participants and may be distributed, donated or credited against future contributions. The operator's shareholders earn the Wakalah fee and investment management income, not underwriting profit.
Get a quote
Contact TIA through the Upper Hill head office, Mombasa or Eastleigh branches, or an intermediary; rates are not published online.
Contribute to the pool
Your contribution (not premium) enters the Ushirika mutual pool as tabarru, with TIA taking a disclosed Wakalah fee.
Claim and share surplus
Claims are settled from the pool with a 14-working-day standard; any year-end underwriting surplus belongs to participants.
Shariah Compliance Review
Oversight Level
Review details on provider's website
IRA license verified on the gazetted list of licensed insurers for 2026 (ira.go.ke licensed entities PDF, accessed 2026-08-06)
Shari'ah Supervisory Council of four named scholars published at takafulafrica.co.ke/board-of-directors-2/ (crawled 2026-08-06)
Internal Shari'ah compliance function audits operations and coordinates with the council
Takaful Umbrella Fund verified on the RBA register of umbrella retirement benefits schemes dated 31 January 2026 (rba.go.ke, accessed 2026-08-06)
Surplus policy documented in the published FAQ: surplus belongs to participants (takafulafrica.co.ke FAQ, crawled 2026-08-06)
Shariah compliance should always be verified directly with Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA). HalalWallet reports publicly available oversight information but does not issue fatwas or certify compliance.
How It Compares
There is no like-for-like comparison inside Kenya: TIA is the only IRA-licensed takaful operator, and our verification found no genuine takaful window at Kenindia, Jubilee or any other conventional insurer. The nearest structural comparators are regional: Salaam Takaful in Pakistan and Prudential's takaful windows in Southeast Asia run similar Wakalah pools with named boards. Within Kenya, the practical alternative for a Muslim consumer is conventional insurance, which the takaful model exists to avoid, or self-insurance. For the pension line specifically, CPF's Salih Retirement Fund competes as a Shariah-compliant scheme, though CPF is an administrator rather than a takaful operator.
vs. CPF Financial Services (Salih)
Shariah-compliant RBA-registered pension saving with documented governance, but no insurance risk cover; complements rather than replaces takaful.
vs. Standard Investment Bank (SIB Najah)
For long-term wealth building under named scholars rather than risk protection; Kenya's largest Shariah fund.
Bottom Line
If you want insurance without riba in Kenya, TIA is the only licensed pool, and it happens to be a credible one: named international scholars, a documented surplus policy, and a shelf from motor to Hajj travel to an RBA-registered pension. Get quotes through a branch, and watch how the Salaam-group ownership change plays out.
Products from Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Why It's Halal
TIA is licensed by the Insurance Regulatory Authority as a general insurer (gazetted IRA list, April 2026) and is the only takaful operator on that list; it describes itself as East Africa's only fully-fledged takaful operator. The FAQ names the mechanics plainly: no riba, no maysir, no gharar; the operator charges a Wakalah fee and surplus after claims is returned to participants, distributed proportionally, donated to charity, or retained to reduce future contributions. Oversight comes from a named four-scholar Shari'ah Supervisory Council chaired by Dr. Ahcene Lahsasna. Honest caveats: contribution rates are quote-based and not printed on the product page, and the published surplus policy describes options rather than a stated distribution history (crawled takafulafrica.co.ke 2026-08-06).
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
TIA Motor Takaful
Motor cover from Kenya's only IRA-licensed takaful operator, in three tiers: Comprehensive (accidental damage, theft, fire, third-party injury and property, windscreen and entertainment system), Third Party Fire & Theft, and Third Party Only. The pool works on mutual solidarity: participants contribute to a common fund, TIA charges a Wakalah management fee, and any surplus after claims and expenses belongs to participants rather than the operator. Extras include emergency roadside assistance and a network of approved repair garages, with claims acknowledged within 24 hours and standard claims processed within 14 working days per TIA's published FAQ (takafulafrica.co.ke, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Dada Takaful (Ladies Motor)
A comprehensive motor takaful package designed around women drivers, layering lifestyle benefits on top of standard comprehensive cover: 24-hour emergency road rescue, courtesy vehicle after an accident, alternative accommodation assistance away from home, personal accident protection, child seat benefit, handbag replacement following an accident, and reduced excess based on cover terms. Underneath sits the same participatory Wakalah pool covering accidental damage, theft, fire and third-party liability (takafulafrica.co.ke/products/dada-takaful, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Afya Takaful (Medical)
Shariah-compliant medical takaful for organizations: corporate partners and county governments cover employees and their families through a mutual pool, with TIA operating dedicated medical contact lines (0725 808010 / 0738 888555). Positioned as group healthcare protection built on mutual support, transparency and shared responsibility rather than an individual retail medical plan (takafulafrica.co.ke/products/afya-takaful, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Domestic Package Takaful
Home takaful covering the building, household contents, domestic workers' liability (WIBA), owner's liability and occupier risks under one participatory package. Designed for homeowners and tenants who want fire, theft and catastrophe protection on the residence plus contents, structured through TIA's mutual pool rather than a conventional home policy (takafulafrica.co.ke/products/domestic-package, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Travel Takaful (incl. Hajj & Umrah)
Shariah-compliant travel protection covering emergency medical treatment abroad, hospitalisation, medical evacuation and repatriation, trip cancellation and interruption, travel delays, missed connections, lost and delayed baggage, lost passports, and optional personal accident and liability benefits. The page explicitly frames Hajj and Umrah travel protection as a use case: 'a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey' deserving preparation (takafulafrica.co.ke/products/travel-takaful, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Personal Accident Takaful
24/7 worldwide personal accident protection through TIA's mutual pool: accidental death benefit, permanent and temporary disability benefits, medical expense reimbursement for covered accidents, with family and group plans available. Aimed at employees, the self-employed, students, riders and drivers, and groups (takafulafrica.co.ke/products/personal-accident, crawled 2026-08-06).
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Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)
Takaful Umbrella Fund (Pension)
The first Shariah-compliant retirement benefits scheme in East and Central Africa, appearing as scheme #53 on the RBA's official list of Registered Umbrella Retirement Benefit Schemes as at 31 January 2026 (P.O. Box 1811-00100 Nairobi, matching TIA's head office). A defined-contribution umbrella fund that pools retirement savings for small, medium and large employers: the employee contributes a percentage of basic salary and the employer matches with an equal, lower or higher percentage. Contributions are tax-allowable up to KES 20,000 per month per member, and on exit members get a tax-free lump sum of KES 60,000 per year of membership up to KES 600,000 (takafulafrica.co.ke/service/takaful-umbrella-fund and rba.go.ke registered umbrella schemes list, both accessed 2026-08-06).
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Where Available
Based on listings we track, Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) operates nationwide:
Nationwide availability
Availability may vary by product type. Always verify current availability directly with Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA).
How We Compare
- • We review publicly available information from providers, including Shariah compliance documentation.
- • We compare financing structures, total costs, down payment requirements, and state availability.
- • We prioritize providers that clearly explain their halal compliance rationale and operate with transparency.
- • We note which products are available nationwide versus regionally.
- • Learn more about our methodology.
Quick Answer
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) offers halal financial products that comply with Shariah principles, avoiding interest (riba) and prohibited industries. Their products are available in 1 state and include Insurance, Retirement options.
Key Takeaways
- Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) offers Shariah-compliant financial products that avoid interest and prohibited industries.
- Products are available in 1 state: Nationwide.
- Product categories include Insurance, Retirement.
- Always verify compliance directly with Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) and consult qualified Islamic finance advisors when needed.
- Compare Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)'s products with other providers to find the best fit for your needs.
Important: HalalWallet provides educational information and comparisons to help you explore halal financial options. We do not provide financial, legal, or religious advice. Product structures and Shariah compliance oversight vary by provider. Always verify halal compliance directly with providers and consult with qualified Islamic finance advisors or scholars for guidance on specific products and your individual circumstances.
Sources and review process
This page is reviewed against HalalWallet editorial standards and source documentation.
Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-03-09
How to cite this page
Preferred format:
For time-sensitive claims (rates, fees, state availability), please verify directly with the provider's official documentation and note the retrieval date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of halal products does Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) offer?
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) offers 7 products across 2 categories. Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) is best for [object Object],[object Object],[object Object]. Review the products listed above or contact Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) directly for current offerings.
How does Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) ensure Shariah compliance?
IRA license verified on the gazetted list of licensed insurers for 2026 (ira.go.ke licensed entities PDF, accessed 2026-08-06) Shari'ah Supervisory Council of four named scholars published at takafulafrica.co.ke/board-of-directors-2/ (crawled 2026-08-06) Internal Shari'ah compliance function audits operations and coordinates with the council Takaful Umbrella Fund verified on the RBA register of umbrella retirement benefits schemes dated 31 January 2026 (rba.go.ke, accessed 2026-08-06) Surplus policy documented in the published FAQ: surplus belongs to participants (takafulafrica.co.ke FAQ, crawled 2026-08-06)
How does Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) work?
Get a quote: Contact TIA through the Upper Hill head office, Mombasa or Eastleigh branches, or an intermediary; rates are not published online. Contribute to the pool: Your contribution (not premium) enters the Ushirika mutual pool as tabarru, with TIA taking a disclosed Wakalah fee. Claim and share surplus: Claims are settled from the pool with a 14-working-day standard; any year-end underwriting surplus belongs to participants.
Is Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) available in my state?
Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) operates nationwide, though specific products may have regional limitations. Always verify current availability directly with Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA).
What are alternatives to Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)?
There is no like-for-like comparison inside Kenya: TIA is the only IRA-licensed takaful operator, and our verification found no genuine takaful window at Kenindia, Jubilee or any other conventional insurer. The nearest structural comparators are regional: Salaam Takaful in Pakistan and Prudential's takaful windows in Southeast Asia run similar Wakalah pools with named boards. Within Kenya, the practical alternative for a Muslim consumer is conventional insurance, which the takaful model exists to avoid, or self-insurance. For the pension line specifically, CPF's Salih Retirement Fund competes as a Shariah-compliant scheme, though CPF is an administrator rather than a takaful operator. CPF Financial Services (Salih): Shariah-compliant RBA-registered pension saving with documented governance, but no insurance risk cover; complements rather than replaces takaful. Standard Investment Bank (SIB Najah): For long-term wealth building under named scholars rather than risk protection; Kenya's largest Shariah fund.
Are Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)'s products more expensive than conventional options?
Halal financing structures can have different fee structures compared to conventional products. Some options may be competitive with conventional rates, while others may have different cost structures. Pricing varies by product type, location, and individual circumstances. Always compare total costs and terms when evaluating options.
How do I contact Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)?
Contact information for Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA) should be available through their website or the product listings above. Use the action links provided with each product to visit Takaful Insurance of Africa (TIA)'s website or contact them directly for more information.
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