Teachers across Kenya are on the brink of a nationwide strike after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) issued a seven-day ultimatum over failing medical cover and unpaid claims under the Social Health Authority.
KUPPET officials claim the SHA system has been unreliable, citing frequent breakdowns and long delays, leaving thousands of educators either stuck in hospitals or paying for treatment out of pocket despite salary deductions.
The crisis stems from suspended medical services in private hospitals under the Rural Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA), which is declining teachers and police officers due to alleged unpaid government claims exceeding Ksh30 billion over ten months.
KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori says the SHA system is failing teachers, citing frequent system breakdowns, a limited number of hospitals accepting the scheme, and what it terms as inadequate allocations, especially for accident and emergency services.
“We have been having a medical cover which did not compel us to come to hospitals to establish pay bill numbers for contribution-authorised funds in county halls. But what is happening now is not supposed to be what the teachers are supposed to undergo. In Nairobi alone, the hospitals are withdrawing because the system of claims is fatigued,” stated Akello Misori.
Teachers previously enrolled in the Minet Teachers Medical Scheme argue that the transition to SHA violates their legally negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), stripping them of previously guaranteed benefits and quality healthcare provisions.
Union leaders highlight that public hospitals, recommended as alternatives, are overcrowded and lack sufficient resources to meet the health needs of teachers, compromising both safety and timely treatment.
Some teachers in Nairobi have reported that hospitals are withdrawing from SHA, citing fatigue in pre-authorisation and claims systems, making access to basic medical services increasingly difficult for teachers contributing heavily to the scheme.
KUPPET says immediate dialogue with the government is essential, giving authorities a seven-day window to address drug shortages and ensure timely payments to hospitals before escalating industrial action.
KUPPET National Chair Omboko Milemba cited the Kisii branch, which confirmed that teachers will halt all learning activities starting next week if the healthcare inconsistencies remain unresolved.
Thousands of teachers are reportedly detained in hospitals or forced to pay for emergency care, even as mandatory salary deductions for SHA contributions continue without delivering the promised benefits.
“If this one is to continue, it therefore means that our life, the lives of teachers we represent, is going to be compromised,” stated National Chair Omboko.
KUPPET argues that the government must urgently release the Ksh30 billion owed to private hospitals to restore access and prevent prolonged disruption of essential health services for educators.
The union says failure to act will not only impact teachers’ healthcare but also compromise the wider learning environment, with potential delays in school programs and disruptions in student learning schedules.
The union now wants immediate talks with the government and warns that if the issues are not addressed within a week, teachers could withdraw from the medical scheme and take industrial action.
