Teachers’ health cover under scrutiny as union warns of hospital detentions
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers has raised serious concerns over the handling of teachers’ medical cover, claiming that some members are being held in hospitals due to unpaid bills.
Kuppet has called on the Teachers Service Commission and the Social Health Authority to reform the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund, insisting that the current system leaves teachers vulnerable when seeking treatment.
The issues came to the fore during a full-day meeting in Nairobi attended by elected officials from junior schools and members of Kuppet’s National Executive Board. The union said the transfer of teachers from AON Minet to the SHA-administered scheme has exposed educators to delays and refusals in medical care.
Kuppet Secretary-General Akello Misori said the SHA health cover is not meeting expectations and has left teachers frustrated.
“The health cover under SHA is not working at all and is not giving our teachers the comfort we anticipated when we were assured that this facility would work,” he said, demanding that TSC and SHA clarify how the fund is supposed to function. Teachers should not be left to fundraise for their hospital bills, he added.
“We cannot be subjected to opening paybill numbers to address hospital bills when teachers are the heaviest taxed members of the public service who contribute to SHA. In terms of our contributions, we are the ones sustaining SHA, and we cannot accept a situation where we are organising harambees yet we did not have these arrangements before,” Misori said.
He challenged SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi to take responsibility and provide guidance on who teachers should contact when disputes arise.
“If teachers are told after three days of treatment that they have exhausted their cover, then it means the arrangement with SHA isn’t working. Some facilities where teachers are supposed to get help are also turning them away,” he said.
The union cited a case where the body of a Busia teacher was held at Nairobi West Hospital over a bill SHA allegedly failed to settle. Kuppet Chairperson Omboko Milemba added that at least 14 teachers are currently detained in hospitals across the country.
“We forgot the issue of raising funds for colleagues about 15 years ago when we were onboarded to AON Minet, and we shall not do any harambees now. Either SHA works for teachers or it quits if it cannot support their medical cover,” he said.
TSC’s migration of teachers from Minet to SHA in December last year was meant to provide comprehensive medical cover, including inpatient and outpatient services, maternity care, chronic illness treatment, dental and optical services, air evacuation, overseas care, and last expenses.
On education reforms, Kuppet pushed for junior schools to be fully independent, citing that the current structure hinders effective implementation of Competency-Based Education. Misori said teachers should be allowed to manage finances, sports, and learning resources without interference.
“The government must know that learning at our junior school centres is dysfunctional. For it to be functional, junior school teachers must be given the autonomy they deserve,” he said, warning that hosting junior schools within primary schools creates management inefficiencies that threaten the success of CBE.
Milemba emphasized that junior schools need their own leadership and systems for teachers, students, promotions, and career progression. The union also threatened legal action over TSC’s continued engagement of 44,000 intern teachers.
“You cannot engage workers as interns when they are registered professionals. We are giving TSC an ultimatum to style up, because soon we will adopt the legal framework to address this issue,” Misori said.
