As published on nation.africa/kenya on November 12th 2025
There is a sharp split among teachers over a plan to move their health insurance cover from a private consortium to the Social Health Authority (SHA).
And it all boils down to concerns over whether the SHA, whose Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) has faced challenges in its first year, will provide the services the teachers expect.
The migration from the private Minet Kenya Limited-led consortium is set to take effect on December 1. However, just hours after the top officials of the teachers’ unions signed a deal with the government to shift the medical insurance scheme for more than 400,000 members to the SHA, a section of teachers have opposed the deal, citing a lack of public participation.
Also, primary school heads attending their annual meeting in Mombasa have denounced the transition as “rushed and opaque”. They accused the unions of not holding proper consultations with members.
The teachers are saying that President William Ruto had promised them an improved medical cover and not a compulsory transition to SHA. Under the new scheme, teachers and their immediate families will receive comprehensive coverage for the principal member, a spouse, and up to five children. Those with more dependents will add them at an extra cost. All the dependents with disabilities will be covered regardless of age.
The teachers will also get expanded access to healthcare, from about 800 hospitals (under Minet Ltd) to more than 9,600 across the country. The benefits also include overseas treatment for conditions that cannot be managed locally.
However, all the members should have been engaged in the discussions before the endorsement of the new insurance scheme with, perhaps, a pilot programme initiated to test it.
However, all these queries by the teachers should be explained well ahead of the start and ironed out. It does not make sense to just rush into a possible stalemate with serious ramifications.
