Factors that determine the uptake and retention of comprehensive car insurance among private car owners in Uganda: a case study of Wandegeya Town

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the factors that influence the uptake and retention of motor comprehensive insurance among private car owners in Uganda. It used primary data with sample size of 96 respondents by use a semi-structured and structured questionnaire that was filled by random private car owners. Microsoft excel and STATA software were the packages used for both data entry and analysis. The analysis was done using frequency tables, chi-square and logistic regression to analyze the relationship between the independent variables on the uptake and retention of motor comprehensive insurance. In the research study, more than half of the respondents were male (62.50%), married (50.0%), aged 20-35(28.13%), acquired secondary education as the highest education level (46.96%), salaried earners (47.92%) and owned vehicles mainly for private use (85.42%) More than half of the respondents (55.21%) did not own the vehicle for the first time and nearly a half of the respondents (45.83%) had possessed the vehicle for a period of 0-4 years. Furthermore, slightly more than half of the respondents (55.21%) did not have knowledge about motor comprehensive, 20.83% having the policy with majority having no motor comprehensive policy (79.17%). Of all the respondents, 12.50% knew the difference between motor third party and motor comprehensive and more than half (87.50%) had not retained the policy. The study also revealed that motor comprehensive policy is expensive (78.13%) according to the respondents as compared to those that found the policy fairly priced. In the bivariate analysis, variables such as knowledge of motor comprehensive, education level and period of the vehicle possession were found to be significant(p<0.1) when uptake of MCP was used as the dependent variable. Where retention of MCP was used as the dependent variable, uptake and affordability of MCP were found to be significant relative to the study(p<0.1). These were later carried on to the multivariate analysis stage which showed significance of knowledge about the policy ,having the policy and affordability which concluded uptake and retention of motor comprehensive being directly influenced by its knowledge about it, possession of the policy and affordability (p<0.05). There is therefore need for sensitization to the public about the advantages of motor comprehensive insurance policy given its wider coverage as compared to other vehicle policies. Furthermore, there should be a reduction on the premiums payable for the policy so as majority of the citizens can ably afford it thus increasing its uptake and retention in Uganda.