Have you covered the ‘what if’ as you gear up for holiday festivities?

I'm not here to dampen the festive spirit. By all means, you deserve it. But if you want that grand holiday and a smooth January start, your preparation needs to go beyond booking transport, dinner, and buying groceries. Last December alone, 466 Kenyans died on our roads—a 10 percent increase from 2023.

Behind each statistic is a family whose celebration ended in crisis, many without adequate cover to cushion the financial devastation that follows. The festive season, for all its joy, carries heightened risks. The question isn't whether accidents will happen during December—it's whether your family will be protected when they do.

Yet, the numbers tell a troubling story. Insurance penetration in Kenya stands at just 2.4 percent of GDP, with most policies being the mandatory third-party motor cover.

Voluntary protection—personal accident, comprehensive health, life insurance—remains drastically underutilised. But here's the catch: third-party only covers the other vehicle if you cause an accident.

Your own car—the one carrying your family upcountry—gets nothing if you're hit, if you skid, or if a pothole causes damage.

During December, when you're doing more mileage than the entire year combined, that gap becomes glaring.

If you're in a bus with only third-party cover, most passengers walk away with nothing. Families are left navigating funeral arrangements and medical bills that can take years to repay, if ever.

Beyond the roads, December presents a perfect storm of vulnerability. Consider your home: locked up for two weeks while you're upcountry, perhaps with a neighbour occasionally checking in. You've secured the doors, maybe even hired a watchman. But electrical faults don't wait for your return, and neither do determined burglars.

A single incident such as a fire from faulty wiring, or a break-in, can undo years of investment.

Small businesses face similar exposure. That shop or workshop you've closed for the holidays sits unattended. Lightning strikes. Vandals break in. Pipes burst. I've watched business owners return in January to devastation that insurance could have cushioned, forced to restart from scratch instead of hitting the ground running in the new year.

Then there's the risk we discount entirely: personal injury. December means hiking with friends, trying new adventure sports, long hours driving on unfamiliar roads. Active, healthy people assume accidents only happen to the careless. But personal accident cover isn't about carelessness, it's about unpredictability.

A twisted ankle on a hike, a collision despite driving carefully, or a slip at a family gathering. Without cover, a minor injury can derail your finances for months.

Now, let's talk about December economics. You're paid on the 21st, then nothing until January 31st. That makes it 40 days navigating school fees, rent, and the bills you deferred.

This timing makes every festive risk exponentially more expensive. That smartphone pickpocketed in a crowded event? You're now stuck with a feature phone until February.

That car accident requiring repairs? You're choosing between fixing it and paying school fees. That medical emergency? You're starting the year in debt. Insurance doesn't just protect against loss, it protects against loss at the worst possible financial moment.

Year after year at Kenya Orient Insurance, we see the same pattern: December claims spike, not because Kenyans become reckless, but because exposure increases. More travel, more activity, more properties left vulnerable. The families who weather these storms best aren't the lucky ones; they're the ones who planned for the "what if."

So why the gap? There are two misconceptions that persist. First, is that insurance is expensive, reserved for the wealthy. The reality is that many comprehensive covers cost less than a monthly phone bill, with flexible payment plans.

Second, is that "it won't happen to me." But accidents don't discriminate based on optimism. Insurance doesn't prevent tragedies; it prevents tragedies from becoming catastrophes.

This December, by all means, celebrate. Enjoy that mbuzi, the family time, the break you've earned. But add one more item to your meticulous planning should be the "what if" cover. Not because you're pessimistic, but because you're thorough.

The same instinct that makes you leave early to beat traffic should make you ensure your family is protected if that traffic turns dangerous.

True peace of mind isn't hoping nothing goes wrong. It's knowing you're covered when something does.

The writer is Underwriting and Reinsurance Manager, Kenya Orient Insurance Limited