I recently had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Peter Nduati who is the CEO of Resolution Insurance Group on the launch of Ziara Cover, an innovative mobile-based accident emergency medical insurance cover for commuters. Ziara was developed in partnership with E-ntervene and caters for emergency treatment of passengers following a road traffic accident. The Ziara cover is purchased for Kes.70.00 at designated points of departure. The member then receives a wrist band which has a serial number that will be activated by registering via *830# and paying via Mobile money. The band is used as an identifier in the event of an accident. Below is the conversation I had with Peter:

Moses Kemibaro: What was the inspiration for Ziara?

Peter Nduati: Our lawyer likes to remind us that Ziara is anchored in our constitution’s Bill of Rights under article 43. (2) A person shall not be denied emergency medical treatment. This right is not easy to deliver because it’s not clear who bears the cost of that emergency treatment. In the absence of that clarity, I as a citizen need to ensure that I can be stabilised in the event that I am injured while travelling in a vehicle. This was a product that was in our pipeline but the reality of the need and urgency was brought out clearly when a Kenyan spent 18 hours in an ambulance after a traffic accident and finally succumbed to his injuries.

Moses Kemibaro: What sort of research and product development was involved in making Ziara Plan a viable offering? Why the use of the mobile delivery channel?

Peter Nduati: We have invested heavily in research while keeping it simple in order to understand the real need, the problem we are trying to solve (we cannot solve the entire problem) and how well our offering attempts to solve the problem. Mobile, because that is the way the customer now interacts and we need to be as relevant as possible

Moses Kemibaro: What is the long-term view for Ziara?

Peter Nduati: Ziara is a Kenyan product. So far Kenya has the best PSV systems compared to other regions and we plan to expand the scope of Ziara to other road users, including taxis and private motorists.

Moses Kemibaro: Ziara works using USSD. Are you planning to extend this to mobile apps for smartphones and if so when will this happen?

Peter Nduati: We are at the forefront of embracing technology and USSD is available for both smart and feature phones which are still in use in Kenya. We keep close to the customer to understand their changing trends and shall go where they go.

Moses Kemibaro: Are you looking beyond Kenya with Ziara?

Peter Nduati: We were pleasantly surprised once we started engaging with Matatu Owners Association at how organized they are. This has enabled quick and easy access for the customer as they have partnered with as the dealers who shall distribute the bands. We understand that we have the best organised private owned and controlled PSV sector possibly across the world. We shall obviously be looking for these opportunities across the region.

Moses Kemibaro: Any last thoughts on Ziara?

Peter Nduati: Ziara is a game changer; we believe it will make our lives easier and it’s a plan that every Kenyan should have.