The planned transition of more than 400,000 teachers to a new medical scheme under the Social Health Authority (SHA) has drawn sharp scrutiny from officials of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET).
KUPPET Bomet branch vice chair Peter Bett is demanding transparency, clear timelines, and safeguards to protect teachers from potential disruptions to services.
In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Bett called on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and SHA to publicly release key documents outlining the structure and scope of the new healthcare package before it takes effect on December 1, 2025.
“We demand to see the document from SHA clearly stating the benefits, including Inpatient, Outpatient, Optical, Dental, Maternity, CDM clinics, Last Expense and Fertility treatment,” Bett said.
He added: “Before such reservations are made, let’s allow teachers to use the existing insurance cover to avoid costs arising from transition confusion.”
Bett urged the authorities to disclose benefit amounts per job group and to publish a complete list of participating hospitals, with particular emphasis on private health facilities where thousands of teachers currently seek treatment.
He warned that any move to reduce access or quality of services would be resisted.
The unionist also called for a clear, well-communicated transition plan, the establishment of a 24-hour contact centre to address emergencies and complaints, and the creation of a joint oversight committee involving teachers’ representatives to monitor the rollout of the new scheme.
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Currently, teachers are covered under the Minet Kenya Insurance Brokers contract, which runs from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2025.
TSC has indicated that once the contract lapses, all teachers will be onboarded to the new Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund under SHA, which also covers civil servants and the National Police Service.
The vice chair insists that the government must safeguard the gains teachers have made under the current cover.
“We will not allow a downgrade of benefits or a disruption of access to healthcare,” Bett said.
He urged the government to prioritise the welfare of teachers who form the backbone of the education sector.
The union’s intervention comes as Parliament and education stakeholders continue debating the future of teachers’ health coverage and SHA’s capacity to manage the expanded portfolio.
By our reporter
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