KUPPET Issues 7-Day Strike Notice Over Teachers’ Pay And Medical Cover Crisis

Teachers across Kenya are edging closer to a nationwide strike following mounting frustrations over failing medical cover and delayed healthcare claims under the government’s Social Health Authority (SHA) system.

The looming industrial action was announced by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), which has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to urgently address what it describes as a deepening healthcare crisis affecting thousands of educators.

Union officials say the transition to the new health scheme has been plagued by serious operational challenges, including persistent system breakdowns, delayed claim settlements, and limited participation by hospitals.

According to KUPPET leaders, these issues have left many teachers stranded in hospitals or forced to pay for treatment out of their own pockets, despite mandatory deductions being made from their salaries to fund the scheme.

The crisis has been worsened by the decision by private hospitals affiliated with the Rural Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA) to suspend services for teachers and police officers.

RUPHA claims the government has accumulated unpaid claims exceeding Ksh30 billion over the last ten months, making it financially unsustainable for its member hospitals to continue offering services under the current arrangement.

KUPPET Secretary-General Akello Misori criticized the SHA system, arguing that it is failing to meet the healthcare needs of teachers. He pointed to frequent system outages, a shrinking number of hospitals willing to accept the scheme, and inadequate allocations for critical services such as accident and emergency care.

Misori noted that the previous system allowed teachers to receive treatment without going through complex verification procedures.

Under the current arrangement, however, educators are reportedly being required to verify contributions or authorization details before accessing care, a process that has slowed down treatment and created unnecessary barriers.

“We have been having a medical cover which did not compel us to come to hospitals to establish pay bill numbers for contribution-authorised funds in county halls. But what is happening now is not supposed to be what the teachers are supposed to undergo. In Nairobi alone, the hospitals are withdrawing because the system of claims is fatigued,” Misori said.

Many teachers argue that the shift from the Minet Teachers Medical Scheme to SHA violates provisions contained in their legally negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). According to union leaders, the earlier scheme guaranteed broader benefits, faster services, and access to a wider network of hospitals.

They claim that the current system has significantly reduced these benefits, leaving teachers vulnerable at a time when reliable healthcare is essential.

Union officials have also raised concerns about the government’s suggestion that teachers rely more heavily on public hospitals as an alternative. KUPPET leaders say many public facilities are already overstretched, under-resourced, and unable to handle the large influx of patients that could result if private hospitals continue to withdraw services.

Reports from teachers in Nairobi indicate that some hospitals have already stopped accepting patients under the SHA system.

Healthcare providers reportedly cite exhaustion with lengthy pre-authorization procedures and delays in claim processing, which they say have made it difficult to maintain operations while waiting for reimbursements.

KUPPET leaders warn that the situation has already begun to have serious consequences. Some teachers have reportedly been detained in hospitals due to unpaid bills, while others have been forced to pay out-of-pocket for emergency treatment despite continuing salary deductions for SHA contributions.

KUPPET National Chair Omboko Milemba said the union cannot continue to watch teachers suffer while the system fails to deliver the healthcare services they are entitled to. He emphasized that teachers’ lives and well-being are now at risk if the current situation persists.

“If this continues, it therefore means that our lives, the lives of the teachers we represent, are going to be compromised,” Milemba warned.

The union has called for immediate dialogue with the government, giving authorities seven days to resolve the crisis.

Among its key demands are the urgent release of the Ksh30 billion allegedly owed to private hospitals, the restoration of smooth claim processing systems, and the resolution of drug shortages affecting facilities participating in the scheme.

KUPPET leaders say failure by the government to act within the stipulated timeline will leave the union with no choice but to escalate the matter through industrial action.

Milemba cited the union’s Kisii branch, which has already indicated that teachers could halt learning activities beginning next week if the healthcare issues remain unresolved.

A nationwide strike by teachers would likely disrupt learning across the country, potentially affecting millions of students and delaying school programs. Education stakeholders warn that such a move could significantly interfere with academic schedules and examinations if the dispute drags on.

For now, KUPPET says it remains open to negotiations but insists that urgent action is required to restore confidence in the healthcare system for teachers.

The union maintains that addressing the outstanding hospital payments and fixing operational weaknesses within the SHA system is the only way to prevent a full-scale strike and ensure that educators across Kenya can access the medical care they need.

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