The national government has abolished co-payments for teachers under the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme, in a move aimed at ending a looming nationwide strike over medical cover concerns.
The decision follows a high-level meeting held Wednesday in Mombasa, bringing together officials from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), SHA, and leaders of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
Under the revised arrangement, teachers will no longer be required to make any co-payments when seeking treatment at SHA accredited health facilities. The government has also expanded the medical cover to include more specialised services, with additional hospitals such as Nairobi West Hospital now included in the scheme.
The day-long talks delivered a breakthrough, effectively halting a strike that had been scheduled to begin next week. Teachers’ unions had threatened industrial action, citing difficulties in accessing healthcare under the SHA system.
Negotiations focused on longstanding complaints from teachers, including reports that some healthcare providers were demanding additional payments despite the existence of comprehensive cover. Both the government and union representatives agreed to eliminate co-payment requirements and urged teachers to report any violations.
KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori said the agreement also includes a review of capitation rates, particularly an upward revision of outpatient cover limits.
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KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu confirmed that healthcare providers will now be required to supply up to three months’ worth of medication for teachers living with chronic illnesses.
SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi warned healthcare providers against imposing extra charges, stating that strict action would be taken against those found violating the directive.
“Facilities are not allowed to co-charge teachers. We have received reports that some providers are co-charging teachers. Any provider who has co-charged a teacher will face consequences,” she said.
Mwangangi added that SHA is engaging healthcare providers to establish standardised tariffs for services offered under the scheme.
The changes come after sustained pressure from teachers, who had threatened a nationwide strike if the issues affecting their medical cover were not resolved.
Teachers had raised concerns over system failures, delays in treatment, and inefficiencies that hindered access to healthcare.
The problems were reported to have worsened following their full integration into the SHA system in December 2025, with many teachers claiming they were turned away from hospitals or forced to incur out-of-pocket expenses for services that were previously covered.
By Obegi Malack
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