Kenya’s education sector is on the brink of a health coverage standoff as teachers’ unions push back against government plans to migrate more than 400,000 tutors and their dependents from the Sh20 billion Minet medical scheme to the newly established Social Health Authority (SHA).
Union leaders argue that the hurried transition, scheduled to coincide with the expiry of the current Minet contract next month, risks destabilising access to healthcare for thousands of families. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has already indicated that consultations are ongoing, with acting CEO Evaleen Mitei informing MPs that teachers could be shifted to SHA by December 1.
On Friday, a high-level meeting bringing together the unions, TSC, SHA officials, and representatives from the Office of the President highlighted deep concerns. While SHA presented its plan—boasting access to more than 9,000 facilities nationwide compared to the current 800—union leaders remained unconvinced.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) secretary-general Collins Oyuu cautioned that the decision cannot be rushed. “This is not a matter of headquarters negotiations alone. Teachers and their dependents deserve clarity on what they stand to gain or lose before any shift takes place,” he said.
His counterpart at the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), deputy secretary-general Moses Nthurima, accused the government of ignoring systemic problems already facing teachers under Minet. He stressed that unresolved challenges such as long delays in approvals and denied admissions must be fixed before introducing a new scheme.
Education stakeholders also warned that SHA’s financial model must not overburden teachers. “If a teacher is required to contribute up to Sh60,000 annually, then the package must comprehensively cover outpatient, inpatient, maternity, optical, and dental services,” said Ndung’u Wangenye of the Kenya Teachers Health and Welfare Association.
With the Minet contract expiring soon, unions are demanding structured consultations and public participation before any transition. They maintain that without assurances on transparency, service quality, and affordability, teachers will resist being moved into SHA.
As the clock ticks, the fate of teachers’ health insurance hangs in the balance—caught between government ambitions to expand coverage and union demands for safeguards.
