The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), have threatened to boycott reopening of schools, citing dissatisfaction with the newly introduced Social Health Authority (SHA) medical cover.
In a strongly worded press statement, Migori KUPPET Secretary General Henry Otunga accused the government of failing to deliver on its promise of a better healthcare scheme for teachers.
“President William Ruto called us to State House and assured us of a better cover, but what we have now is not what we expected,” said Otunga.
The union criticized SHA for offering limited and inadequate services, noting that many accredited hospitals are providing low-quality drugs while key services such as ambulance care, optical, dental, and X-ray services are not covered.
They also raised concerns over the limited ICU coverage of only 12 days and the exclusion of co-payment for spouses.
Additionally, the teachers lamented that many hospitals have not yet been onboarded into the system, making access to healthcare difficult.
KUPPET Migori is now demanding that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) seek an alternative medical cover outside SHA and integrate teachers into a comprehensive public officers’ health scheme.
They are also calling for an increase in outpatient cover to KSh 4,500, restoration of comprehensive medical benefits, expansion of hospital networks including faith-based facilities, and the establishment of a last expense cover.
The union further urged the government to fix persistent digital system failures affecting service delivery under SHA.
“If SHA is not addressed, we are not going to open schools,” Otunga warned.
Concurrently, the union also raised concerns about the status of Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, calling for full autonomy of the sector.
JSS Secretary Boliffe Odhiambo emphasized the need for an independent structure to manage junior secondary education, arguing that the current system is confusing and ineffective.
“We cannot continue operating jointly with primary schools, especially in co-curricular activities. Junior Secondary must stand on its own,” he said.
The union also demanded the confirmation of over 44,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms, criticizing the current stipends of about KSh 17,000 as exploitative.
Further demands include the promotion of teachers from C2 to C3 job groups and timely payment of teachers by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) for their role in managing national examinations.
KUPPET Migori Chairman Kevin Odhiambo warned that if the government fails to reform SHA, teachers will withdraw from the scheme and escalate their actions.
“If the government cannot fix SHA, we will ship out of it and advise our members accordingly. Any future engagement with KNEC will also be sabotaged if our concerns are not addressed,” he stated.
The teachers have now issued a firm ultimatum, warning of disruptions in the education sector unless urgent action is taken.
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