Junior Secondary School Teachers in Kwale County have intensified their outcry against the Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover, warning that they may abandon the new scheme altogether if the government fails to conduct urgent reforms.
Speaking under the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), the tutors accused the government of imposing the SHA programme on them without consultation and ignoring the glaring gaps that have now left thousands of teachers vulnerable.
Kwale KUPPET Executive Secretary Leonard Oronje said the shift from the MINET insurance cover to SHA was abrupt, poorly planned, and driven by government interests rather than the welfare of teachers.
“The transition to SHA was not informed by the needs of teachers or their unions. It was a purely unilateral government decision,” said Oronje.
He noted that although MINET had flaws, teachers still felt a sense of dignity and security aspects which he argues have been lost under the new system.
According to him, the current SHA package is inadequate and exposes teachers and their families to uncertainty, especially during medical emergencies.
One of Oronje’s biggest concerns is the scheme’s reliance on a last expense benefit of Ksh300, 000, a one-time payout to cover funeral costs, while offering no protection to the family after the teacher’s death.
He said teachers are now demanding a comprehensive group life cover worth at least Ksh2 million to secure their families’ future.
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Oronje added that teachers will give the scheme three months to prove its worth. If no meaningful changes are implemented, they will initiate steps to exit the cover.
KUPPET members are also demanding an extra payment of Ksh200, 000 to cushion teachers once their medical benefits are fully spent, arguing that the current model leaves them stranded when they deplete their limits.
“With SHA, if your limit runs out, that’s the end. There is no additional support for ongoing treatment,” he said.
He said the teachers are also pushing for substantial improvements to the maternity package. They want the allocation increased to more than Ksh500,000 and for the scheme to comprehensively cater for premature babies.
Oronje dismissed the current Ksh120, 000 cap for lower job groups as insufficient and criticized SHA for defining premature births from 37 weeks, excluding babies born earlier.
“This definition goes against the reality on the ground. Babies born at even 27 weeks need support. The constitution says life begins at conception — we must protect all children,” he said.
Kwale KUPPET Secretary–Tertiary, Lucy Adenya, said teachers also need access to a wider range of hospitals and timely approval of funds. She said delays in authorization have left some teachers suffering for hours in hospitals, and in extreme cases, cost lives.
Adenya wants outpatient cover increased from Ksh150, 000 to Ksh300, 000 and criticized the government for effecting the SHA transition without public participation.
Another teacher, Bakari Mwanduni, questioned why younger teachers in lower job groups receive only Ksh120, 000 in maternity benefits while older staff in higher job groups receive Ksh300,000.
He argued that the disparity is unfair and fails to protect younger, more productive teachers who need maternity support the most.
By Mwajabe Omar
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