Group Personal Accident (GPA) Cover Explained for Kenyan Employers

WIBA only covers work-related incidents. Group Personal Accident (GPA) cover extends protection to your staff 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world, for any accidental injury or death. It is one of the cheapest, most appreciated benefits a Kenyan employer can offer.

What GPA covers

• Accidental death — lump-sum benefit paid to nominated beneficiaries
• Permanent total disability (PTD) — usually the same lump sum
• Permanent partial disability — paid as a percentage based on the body-injury scale
• Temporary total disability — weekly income while recovering
• Medical expenses arising from the accident
• Funeral expenses

GPA vs WIBA — the key difference

WIBA covers work-related incidents only. GPA covers staff 24/7 — at home, on holiday, commuting, anywhere in the world. Smart employers carry both: WIBA to meet the law, GPA to give meaningful protection beyond the workplace.

How benefits are structured

Most Kenyan SMEs benchmark accidental-death and PTD lump-sum benefits at 24 to 60 months' basic salary, with temporary-disability weekly income at 50% of the weekly wage for up to 104 weeks. Medical-expenses limits typically run KES 100,000 – KES 500,000.

How premium is calculated

GPA is priced as a percentage of the total annual sum insured (not payroll), usually 0.25% – 0.50% depending on occupational class. For a 20-person office team with KES 50 million total cover, that is around KES 125,000 a year — about KES 6,250 per staff member.

Combining GPA with medical cover

GPA pays cash benefits; medical insurance pays for treatment. The two are complementary. Many SMEs offer a 'staff care' package: WIBA + GPA + group medical, often costing less than 6% of payroll combined and dramatically improving staff retention.