Insurers' NSE portfolio climbs to four-year high amid rally

Insurance and reinsurance firms in Kenya have increased their share of investments at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) to 3.0 percent in the first quarter of 2026, a four-year high, riding on a sustained equity market rally. The value of their quoted shares surged by 75.4 percent to Sh47.46 billion from Sh27.05 billion a year earlier. Long-term insurers, led by ICEA Lion Life Assurance, Jubilee Life Insurance, and Britam Life Insurance, accounted for 68.5 percent of the growth. Reinsurers' holdings quadrupled to Sh6.34 billion.