M-KOPA Partners with Turaco to Offer a Free Health Insurance Service to 1 million Kenyans

In just one year, M-KOPA Kenya has collaborated with Turaco Insurance Agency to offer Hospital Cash insurance to over 1 million Kenyans. Announced 12 March 2025, this achievement is part of M-KOPA’s “More Than a Phone” initiative, a digital financial services offering created to provide increased financial security for Kenya’s ‘Every Day Earners.

The partnership means that users are now able to access free health insurance bundled with their M-KOPA smartphones, providing them with essential support when faced with a medical emergency. M-KOPA smartphone customers receive 12 months of insurance coverage starting from the day they buy the smartphone.

Alliance Between M-KOPA and Turaco

This partnership has expanded M-KOPA’s digital financial services considerably, solidifying its ability to help everyday Kenyans protect their financial progress. Commenting on the initiative, M-KOPA Kenya’s General Manager, Martin Kingori, said “By listening to our customers, we understand how unexpected medical expenses can derail their progress. Insurance provides that crucial safety net, keeping them on track toward their goals. This insurance benefit aligns perfectly with our mission to finance progress for ‘Every Day Earners,’ through partnerships with purpose-driven providers like Turaco, we’ll continue to impact more lives across Kenya”.

After a trial period in January 2024, the Hospital Cash cover was launched in June 2024 as part of the M-KOPA X-20 smartphone whereby customers can be compensated Ksh 1,000 for each night they spend in any public or private Ministry of Health registered hospital.

Customer experiences clearly show the impact of this initiative. One of the beneficiaries, Boniface Mutiso, said “Insurance was the reason I chose my M-KOPA phone. After my hospital stay, I received Ksh 7,000 quickly, which helped me care for my family.”

Tackling a Pressing Problem

We are excited for this collaboration that meets an urgent need in Kenya, a country in which over 5% of households experience catastrophic health expenditures each year. Out-of-pocket healthcare costs push 14 million low-income households into poverty across Africa each year.

The insurance program reflects a tangible investment in users’ lives, with more than half of customers reporting increased investment in business, and over 50 percent of women customers experiencing lower financial anxiety with the program.

As a vehicle of this crucial lifeboat, M-KOPA and Turaco are not just ensuring access to healthcare but are also enabling Kenyans to make better financial decisions with the knowledge that unexpected medical bills cannot derail their progress.