Pioneer’s Transformation Story

We started 2026 strongly. Both our Life and General businesses are ahead of budget and performing above previous highs, a reflection of what is possible when a team is aligned and determined.

Our Net Promoter Score stands at 64, a clear sign that more customers trust us and are willing to recommend us to others. We have welcomed 12,000 new customers so far this year, against a target of 100,000. We are still early in the journey, but the direction is clear and the momentum is building.

I was especially proud to see 61 of our Financial Advisors recognised by the Association of Kenya Insurers for their professional achievements. That recognition matters deeply. Trust is not built by words alone. It is built through competence, discipline, and consistency — and through the quiet, daily efforts of our people.

Going Where People Are

For too long, insurance has waited for the customer to come to it. We are changing that — deliberately and with urgency.

One of the clearest examples came in February at the launch of the GOSPO Ministries Insurance Agency in Narok and Bomet, where we engaged more than 500 business people and close to 1,000 boda boda riders. It was a powerful reminder that millions of hardworking Kenyans carry risk every day, yet remain excluded from the protection they deserve.

That experience has strengthened our resolve to drive financial inclusion across the boda boda sector and other affinity groups — churches, chamas, alumni groups, schools, and more. We are now engaging organisations that bring together Kenya’s 2.7 million boda boda riders, working to identify practical solutions that can expand meaningful coverage across the sector.

We are also deploying a new cadre of Business Development Officers embedded in communities — people who understand the context, speak the language, and can have honest conversations about protection, dignity, and peace of mind. This direct sales force is expected to add 1,800 dedicated Pioneer agents in the market, taking our story to places it has never reached before.

Building the Pioneer of Tomorrow

Going where people are is only one part of the story. We are also reshaping Pioneer from within.

Through our Journey of Excellence, we are improving how we work, make decisions, and serve our customers. We have begun a Job Evaluation and Benefits Rationalisation exercise to support fair compensation and clearer career progression — because a motivated team builds a stronger company.

Our Asset Management business is advancing through the regulatory process. Our Microinsurance Unit is now part of the DRIVE initiative — a $140 million programme aimed at protecting pastoral communities from severe droughts and economic shocks. And Pioneer Foundation is formally registered and beginning to identify partners for meaningful community programmes.

This Is Everyone’s Transformation

What gives me the greatest confidence is not the strategy alone. It is our people.

This transformation is not owned by one office or driven only from the top. It belongs to every Financial Advisor who earns a customer’s trust, every claim officer who handles a case with care, every member of staff who solves a problem quietly and professionally, and every Business Development Officer stepping into a new community for the first time.

When we say we want insurance in every village and every home, we mean more than market reach. We mean building an institution that meets people where they are and stands with them when it matters most.

That is the Pioneer we are building together. Each of us has a place in that story — because we are the Pioneers.

by Rocky Olonde

Chief Strategy & Transformation Office