Ruth Namuli, Chief Executive Officer of SanlamAllianz General Insurance Uganda, leads the Ugandan arm of Africa’s largest non-banking financial services company.
With over 18 years of experience in the insurance industry, she brings strategic leadership, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of the continent’s evolving risk landscape.
In September 2023, global insurer Allianz and Africa’s largest non-banking financial services group Sanlam joined forces to establish SanlamAllianz, a pan-African joint venture operating across 26 countries.
The partnership created the continent’s largest non-banking financial services entity and brought together Allianz’s global insurance leadership with Sanlam’s deep African market expertise.
Following the landmark merger between Sanlam and Allianz, Ruth Namuli now leads SanlamAllianz General Insurance Uganda at a pivotal moment for the industry.
In this conversation with CEO East Africa Magazine’s Paul Murungi, she discusses how global expertise, digital innovation, and stronger financial capacity are positioning the company to expand insurance access, strengthen risk protection, and transform the customer experience in Uganda.
The merger between Sanlam and Allianz marks a major shift in Uganda’s insurance industry. What does this new era of experience and global scale mean for customers today?
The merger between Sanlam and Allianz brings together strong African market expertise and global insurance leadership.
For customers in Uganda, this means greater financial strength, enhanced risk capacity, and access to international best practices in underwriting, claims management, and innovation.
It allows us to deliver faster, more efficient service while introducing smarter, more competitive insurance solutions through investing in local talent, technology and partnerships.
Probably in the next five or ten years, you will see the penetration change. That growth will be driven by new sources and new ways of doing insurance.
For example, we need to factor in agriculture and see how we can make insurance better for that sector, especially considering climate risks.
What do we need to do in that space to increase new business from agriculture, since it is done by almost 80% of the population and supports our economy largely?
For me, that is where innovation lies. It also involves reinventing certain aspects and moving away from product-based offerings toward an experience of responsive and customer-centered service.
You mention that the merger will enjoy some aspects coming from other territories. Which territories are you referring to?
We’re tapping into the global expertise of Sanlam, which is the number one Pan-African entity, and Allianz, which is the number one global insurer.
There are a number of innovations and digital tools that have worked elsewhere, including in North Africa. We are asking what we can adopt from those territories and apply it here.
For instance, we are working on fast-tracking certain claims so that they are paid easily. We picked some of these ideas from how claims are handled in Morocco.
Of course, there are certain things that cannot move as quickly here because they are not yet fully developed. But we are looking at what we can adopt to improve claim settlement for smaller claims.
If something already works elsewhere and we can use it to give a solution to our clients within our own territory, and if it adds value and grows the business, then that is where we pick such innovations from.
You’ve described this transition as “a reinvention of what insurance can mean for Ugandans.” What does reinvention look like in the next 3–5 years for general insurance?
For general insurance, reinvention means becoming more digital, especially in terms of seamless onboarding of clients.
As I said earlier, quicker settlement of claims, especially smaller claims, will be critical. It will also involve better communication and transparency in sharing information with clients at the right time rather than clients having to demand that information.
For example, during a claim process, the client should know that the claim is at this stage and this is what is pending.
To achieve this, we need to work with the rest of the ecosystem involved in claims, such as assessors and adjusters, while also investing in systems and processes. These will be very critical in delivering better services and improving efficiency
Some of these initiatives have already started. For example, on client onboarding, we are asking how we can make it easier for clients to access insurance. Using insurance products such as the “on-the-go” cover, we are exploring how to make insurance more affordable and accessible.
Pulling together Sanlam General and Jubilee Allianz into one unified entity must have required operational restructuring. What were the key internal shifts and challenges during integration?
For any merger, there will always be challenges because you have companies that have been running separate systems and must now give themselves time to transition to a single system.
There’s also the people aspect, including different organizational cultures. Over time, you need to manage that transition and align the cultures with the SanlamAllianz values.
The systems also require time to integrate. Because our policies are short-term cover, we usually allow about a year for full transition. For example, if the merger happened in September, we would need a full year to ensure that the systems have captured all client data into a single platform.
In terms of internal shifts, we have also focused on ensuring that we serve retail, SME, and corporate clients better through proper segmentation.
This segmentation allows us to understand how to serve commercial clients better and how to serve corporate clients better without leaving any opportunities untapped. That internal shift ensures that all clients are catered for effectively.
SanlamAllianz now controls about 21.1% of Uganda’s non-life market. What strategies are you prioritizing to maintain and grow this position?
Our 21.1% market share is a significant milestone, but our focus is not just on size, it’s on sustainable leadership in the industry and our strategy centres on four priorities;
First, customer experience differentiation. We are investing heavily in faster claims turnaround, digital enablement, and service reliability, because leadership in insurance is ultimately earned at the point of claim.
Second, technical excellence and underwriting discipline. Scale gives us access to global risk expertise, better data analytics, and stronger reinsurance capacity, allowing us to compete intelligently while maintaining profitability.
Third, product innovation and market expansion. We are developing solutions tailored to SMEs, corporates, and emerging risks, while strengthening our distribution partnerships across the country.
This will come from customer-centered solutions rather than product-based offerings, as well as improving risk management journeys with our clients.
We want to walk the journey with clients by providing technical expertise and excellence. Even when clients experience large claims, we work with them to improve risk management through risk surveys and improvements.
We are also investing in capabilities to identify fraud within the model book. These are some of the areas we are focusing on to maintain and grow our market share.
And finally, our people. A business is only as strong as the talent behind it. We are committed to creating a supportive, high-performance environment and continuously investing in training and development, so our teams remain knowledgeable, motivated, and equipped not only to deliver exceptional service but to grow as well.
How does the joint venture strengthen your financial capacity to underwrite larger risks?
The combined scale of Sanlam and Allianz provides us with enhanced assets, stronger solvency margins, and access to a broader global reinsurance network.
This strengthened capital position allows us to confidently underwrite larger and more complex risks, including major corporate accounts, infrastructure projects, energy portfolios, and other high-risk segments that require substantial capacity and technical expertise.
Our reinsurance capacity has almost doubled. Through SanlamAllianz Re, we are able to drive growth and support clients in covering diverse risks.
This also allows us to provide coverage for specialty risks and manage catastrophic event exposure while helping clients improve their risk management.
For infrastructure and long-term projects, we now have the expertise, financial muscle and structure to support large infrastructure projects, SME innovations, and specialty insurance classes.
This means improved risk diversification, stronger liquidity, and greater resilience.
You have been advocating for the marine insurance consortium. Can you explain its purpose?
The marine consortium is an industry initiative that we are driving through the Uganda Insurers Association, where I serve as chairperson.
The aim is to ensure that imports entering Uganda are insured locally. While we still have some challenges with port systems, we have seen improvements.
Many importers are beginning to realize they can insure goods locally rather than relying on insurance taken from abroad.
Since Uganda is a landlocked country with a high level of imports, we want to tap into that opportunity to grow industry premiums.
Sanlam General posted strong profits while Jubilee Allianz experienced integration-related losses. How are you optimising operations for profitability?
Many of the integration-related losses had already been addressed before the merger through provisions over previous financial years.
By the time the companies merged, much of the financial cleanup had already been done during the transition when Jubilee became Allianz.
Within the four months that we have worked as a single entity, significant work has gone into ensuring better reconciliations and operational processes.
These improvements are expected to support stronger profitability going forward, while also improving underwriting discipline and operational efficiency.
What new digital and product innovations should customers expect in the next year?
After 29 Years in Court, Government Ordered to Pay UGX 512.9 Million in Kamuli Land DisputeThere is a lot of work in progress. One area is expanding the “on-the-go” cover that you saw. We have also introduced a fast-track claims process.
Under this system, customers can bring in vehicles with minor claims that’s usually below UG 5 or 10 million shillings. The vehicle is assessed immediately, photos are taken, spare parts are negotiated, and the customer can walk out with payment after signing the discharge voucher.
This fast-track system is supported by a database of spare parts and repair estimates. It helps reduce time spent on documentation and processing for smaller claims.
You’ve spoken strongly about serving individuals, SMEs, corporates, and underserved populations. How is the merger enabling more localized, practical products tailored to Uganda’s diverse economic segments?
I think for us, to the underserved population. I think for SMEs, it is for them to appreciate, and it is for us to appreciate that segment.
I think we need to do more in terms of teaching them how it works so that they can appreciate it better. Those that have understood it have taken it up.
Then we need to see how we can tailor the product in terms of affordability. The corporates are good to go because they know the value of not having insurance or of having insurance.
The underserved population, I think this is in terms of pricing. And for us, that is why we came up with that on-the-go product.
We are also seeing that it will be critical to see how agriculture becomes a bit less expensive, to be able to drive the numbers for the underserved population. They know that in different seasons you can actually have a crop for particular periods.
And for some types of products for SMEs, I think that the products are so many depending on the solution. Those are already within the market. It is just repackaging and seeing whether it is what the client actually needs.
So the products are there, but is it the solution the client needs for their nature of business?
So that is how we go in to be a bit more customer-centric, or give the experience where they will see value, not to give off the shelf and then it is not actually fitting into what the client needs.
You have not understood their nature of business or their exposure of why they actually need to take up insurance. So that you drive, you do the solution, or you make a solution that will deliver what they require as well.
So that is a mutual solution.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities to use technology to improve claims turnaround, reduce fraud, empower agents, and streamline service delivery?
I see that the biggest opportunities lie in using technology to make insurance faster, smarter, and more transparent across the entire value chain.
In claims, automation and digital reporting tools can significantly improve turnaround times while maintaining accuracy. In fraud management, data analytics and pattern recognition help us detect suspicious activity early without slowing down genuine customers.
Technology also empowers agents through digital sales and CRM platforms, enabling quicker policy issuance and better customer engagement. And by integrating our systems end-to-end, we streamline service delivery and improve communication.
So for us those are some of the things we will look into for the future in terms of helping with fraud, and then in terms of automation for some of the operational aspects that we have not done.
You recently launched Uganda’s first On-the-Go Accident Cover priced from UGX 1,300. What makes this product transformational for Uganda’s everyday traveler?
Uganda’s first On-the-Go Accident Cover is transformational because it provides affordable, accessible protection for everyday travelers, starting from just UGX 1,300.
For the first time, commuters, boda-boda riders, and casual travelers can have immediate coverage against accidents without the complexity or high cost of traditional insurance.
This product empowers Ugandans to travel with peace of mind with a cover of up to UGX 3,150,000, knowing they and their families are protected, while driving a culture of financial inclusion and safety across the country.
You buy it when you need it. You do not have to have that full-year cover which you cannot afford.
So you buy it when you feel like you are going somewhere and your cover is full.
So for the day-to-day person, even the money required at the hospital for that first check-up, you at least have access to it through the hospital cash.
How do you plan to drive mass adoption among boda-boda riders, taxi users, and other commuters?
To drive mass adoption among everyday users, we plan to leverage both digital and on-the-ground strategies. We will partner with transport associations and ride-hailing platforms to educate riders directly at stages, taxi -parks and garages, while using mobile money premium payments and claims settlement seamless.
Additionally, targeted awareness campaigns via radio, social media, and SMS will highlight the low cost and instant protection benefits, ensuring that every commuter understands the value of being covered on the go.
The On-the-Go cover is tied to SanlamAllianz’s digital app. How central is mobile-first access in your broader general insurance distribution strategy?
Mobile-first access is at the core of our general insurance distribution strategy. By integrating the On-the-Go cover into the SanlamAllianz digital app, we make insurance instantly accessible, convenient, and affordable for everyday Ugandans, especially those who rely on mobile phones for daily transactions.
This approach not only drives adoption and engagement but also allows us to scale efficiently, collect real-time data, and continuously refine products to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
Can Ugandans expect more micro-insurance or lifestyle-based solutions from your general insurance portfolio?
Yes. I think this is just the beginning of revolutionising how we bring the products to you.
We are going to see more digital product delivery and more partnerships with individuals and companies that provide different solutions to build the mass numbers, grow penetration, and help drive those micro-insurance products.
At the end of the day, we will be able to get the business and people will be able to get solutions to unforeseen circumstances in case they happen.
The IRA continues to push for consolidation to strengthen the market. How will SanlamAllianz drive resilience and modernization?
I think we will not drop the ball to provide services professionally. Doing insurance the right way is critical for us, and ensuring that we adopt data-driven platforms to improve underwriting and efficiency in risk management.
We will leverage digital platforms to bring solutions closer to clients. And in terms of claims processing, we want to improve how we fast-track the process and avoid delays where it is within our reach.
Because this is what brings us more business: how we settle claims, how long it takes, and whether we are able to settle large claims.
We must have a strong balance sheet and profitability to withstand large losses so that people trust us to take care of such claims once they happen.
For us it is about claims processing, standards, transparency, financial inclusion, and strengthening operations through training staff and developing them to serve better with integrity, care, collaboration, and innovation, which are our values.
What lessons have you learned, relearned, or unlearned in the four months since the merger?
What I have learned is that with a good team and commitment from staff you are able to deliver.
You are able to find solutions to aspects that have been challenging or require critical attention. Your day-to-day operations must continue while you still figure out aspects that are not yet where you want them to be.
Clients do not care about your merger. They need what they need today. So if you have two systems and you are trying to figure out how to move, people become very critical in ensuring delivery.
Positivity and attitude are also critical. Yes it is tough, but you set goals, put in extra time, and deliver to clients and shareholders.
Within all this we also had to move offices and relocate into one building. All those things had to be done within one year or about eight months.
Without a strong team and support from the group, it would not have been possible.
Working with multinationals meant we could get support when needed. What I have relearned is that once the attitude is right you can do great things and turn the business around when everyone is aligned to the strategy.
People are critical throughout the process because they get the work done.And the regulator was also very critical in supporting the journey and ensuring that we met the deadlines to complete the merger.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities for general insurance in Uganda over the next decade?
Over the next decade cyber will be very critical, especially for the financial sector. But agriculture and climate-based solutions will also be very important.
When we venture more into weather-based or climate-risk insurance it will cover a greater number of farmers. Most farmers are small-scale, so we must develop solutions that make insurance affordable and accessible.
Agriculture will therefore be very critical in strengthening insurance across Uganda. We must also build partnerships with banks, oil and gas players, and aggregators to deliver solutions.
We must ensure that personal insurance lines become accessible digitally for everyone. The risks can be managed, but the opportunities are also great.
