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Union Secretary General Lawrence Ochieng said the new ceiling does not match the cost of treatment and weakens the protection that civil servants rely on for routine healthcare.
KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba said teachers have resorted to harambees to meet medical expenses, with members already raising Sh1.5 million alongside the union.
KUPPET reported incidents in which teachers injured in accidents were allegedly denied care at The Nairobi Hospital, Avenue Hospital, Guru Nanak Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital.
Insurers are expected to list at least five major clients, each with annual premiums of Sh100 million in the last financial year. The framework applies to visitors staying in Kenya for less than a year, who must have active medical insurance as mandated by the Social Health Insurance Act of 2023.
Teachers have already begun receiving confirmation messages from SHA showing they have been placed under the new Mwalimu Cover, which gives them access to 9,600 facilities around the country through the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund.
SHA is expected to offer a more comprehensive healthcare package covering over 400,000 teachers and their dependents. The expanded benefits will include access to additional hospitals, coverage for up to five children instead of four, inpatient and outpatient care, maternity services, dental and optical treatment, radiology, chronic illness management, drug and substance abuse support, overseas medical treatment and evacuation, annual health check-ups, and organ donor tests.
For years, teachers have raised concerns over the quality of services under Minet Kenya, citing delays in authorisation for treatment, mandatory referrals, suspended facilities, and a shortage of doctors in many empanelled hospitals.
CoG Chair noted that some cannot even afford basic necessities, including fuel for official duties, and questioned why pensions exist for MPs and an impending law will grant them to MCAs, yet governors are excluded.
Kuppet officials argue that abolishing the scheme (MKL Minet) without their consent would breach the CBA and amount to an unfair labour practice.