Lamu's lifeline sea water transport is at stake after a survey indicated that boats serving the public transport in the area have not been insured exposing residents and guests in and out of the Island at risk.
Only ten percent of boats in the whole of Lamu are anticipated to enjoy vessel insurance while the rest conduct their business in the common law of the jungle.
A survey done by Insurance Regulatory Authority indicates that apart from Lamu the entire country enjoys only 2.8 percent insurance penetration exposing business and lives of Kenyan citizens at risk.
Speaking during a sensitization forum in Lamu on the efforts towards boosting numbers of people engaging in insurance, Ann Chelagat head of Consumer education said people have not seen the sense of engaging their business to insurance however exposing them to high risks.
Ms Chelagat said, in Lamu boats do capsize while other small businesses also get fire among other hazards exposing them to high losses.
Chelagat said, they are currently in partnership with county governments to do rigorous sensitization programs to see that people understand the importance of insurance and eventually take the chances.
During the sensitization forum Lamu county Executive member for Trade and Tourism Dismus Pole Mwasambu confirmed that business in Lamu were not under insurance and ascertained there was need for serious campaigns towards the norm.
Pole said, Lamu has about 1000 boats which are condcuting public transport and none of them have been insured exposing lives of passengers,luggage and even their coxwen at risk.
He said there are several cases where boats have capsized which lives of locals and coxwens have been lost but eventually families have been left to count losses without any compensation.
He urged the locals to understand the importance of taking insurance cover for their businesses so as to be compensated once risk happens.
Chairman for Boat operators Association in Lamu county Awadh Hassan Awadh said, for a period of two years lives of over seven captains have been lost towards boat accident while their families were not compensated.
Awadh said, boat owners are the ones not concerned to putting their vessels to insurance hence exposing locals and their captains in danger.The chairman however urged boat owners to seriously engage into insuring their vessels so as to see that lives are protected.
The survey however never left out livestock showing that Lamu having a huge number of donkeys on public transport of people and luggage were also urged to put their animals to insurance cover to avoid loss in case from diseases.