Members of Parliament have called for reforms to the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure teachers receive reliable and comprehensive medical coverage, amid mounting confusion over the fate of their current insurance scheme.
During an engagement with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Thursday, September 4, Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap proposed the introduction of a premium SHA package tailored specifically for teachers. The proposal comes as the existing contract between the TSC and a private insurance provider nears expiry, with government policy steering teachers towards SHA cover.
Teachers have voiced concerns that the transition could erode the extensive benefits they currently enjoy. The existing medical scheme covers the teacher, their spouse, and up to four children. It provides inpatient, outpatient, maternity, optical, and dental services, as well as group life insurance and last-expense funeral coverage. Crucially, members can access services without a physical card, using their payroll number or biometric verification at accredited facilities.
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, convened a consultative forum with the TSC to deliberate on the matter. The MPs emphasized the need for a balanced solution that maintains quality healthcare while expanding access through SHA.
However, teachers are alarmed by what they term “double taxation,” as deductions for both the SHA and the current scheme appear on their payslips. Under the SHA model, members contribute 2.75 percent of their gross or household income, with a minimum of Ksh300 monthly.
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok acknowledged the issue, assuring teachers that the government would address the concern. “It is not right that teachers are paying twice for medical insurance. That is not the government’s position. We are engaging stakeholders so that teachers can benefit from a reliable special scheme, similar to civil servants and other specialised cadres,” Bitok said on August 12.
The Ministry of Education is expected to continue consultations with the TSC and teachers’ unions to determine a way forward. The outcome of these discussions could lead to significant adjustments to teachers’ payslips and the overall structure of their medical benefit
