Growing Role of Bancassurance in the Banking Sector: A Case of Kenya Tier 1 Local Banks

Abstract

The Kenyan market need to mitigate their risks as the levels of insurance penetration is low. Bancassurance which is the integration of banking and insurance has been adopted as a distribution channel of insurance products. This paper analyses the contribution of bancassurance to the insurance sector and the recent trends of bancassurance on the performance of banks. The target population was all commercial banks in Kenya. A sample was done for tier 1 local banks in Kenya. The study uses a descriptive research design. Data is represented in tables and charts. The methodology used was an analysis using the CAMEL parameters. The findings are: Capital adequacy analysis shows that the banks' level of solvency is good. Asset Quality analysis shows that the financial position of the banks is strong. Earnings and profitability analysis tend to be contradicting the hypothesis since the investment in the insurance agency was still quite low. The banks however managed to balance their liquidity and profitability. The insurance agency can introduce services such as pricing and reserving in order to maximize their profitability.