Teachers’ Unions Reject Forced Migration to SHA From Minet, Demand Wider Consultation

Kenya’s teachers’ unions have rejected a government plan to migrate more than 400,000 educators and their dependents from the Sh20 billion Minet medical scheme to the newly created Social Health Authority (SHA), warning that the rushed move could jeopardise access to essential health services.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), and the Kenya Teachers Health and Welfare Association said the SHA proposal lacks clarity, transparency, and firm guarantees, insisting that teachers will not be forced into a scheme they do not understand.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) contract with Minet expires next month, and union leaders fear that without a carefully managed transition, thousands of teachers could be left without critical medical cover.

Treasury and TSC officials argue that the SHA model will give teachers access to more than 9,000 health facilities nationwide—up from about 800 under Minet.

But teachers’ representatives maintain that the benefits remain vague and require further scrutiny.

KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu stressed that union members must be fully consulted before any decision is made.

“SHA took us through several presentations, but in our view, the process is incomplete. It is only right that we refer this matter to our National Executive Council for a final decision,” Oyuu said.

He linked the urgency of the debate to the impending expiry of the Minet contract and pointed out that while President William Ruto had spoken of reviewing the teachers’ medical scheme, he never directed a blanket migration to SHA.

KUPPET Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima warned that any attempt to coerce teachers into SHA without proper engagement would face strong resistance.

“You cannot wake up one morning and tell teachers to abandon a scheme they know for one whose details remain vague. Decisions that affect teachers’ lives cannot be made at headquarters without their input,” he said.

Nthurima also criticised Minet for poor service delivery, citing long delays in pre-authorisations and cases where insurers overruled doctors’ recommendations for admission.

Kenya Teachers Health and Welfare Association National Secretary Ndung’u Wangenye added that if SHA requires teachers to pay as much as Sh60,000 annually, then the cover must match or surpass existing benefits.

“The cover must be comprehensive—outpatient, inpatient, maternal, dental, and optical. Teachers must not be forced into a scheme offering less than what they already have,” Wangenye cautioned.

Union leaders insist that the SHA model undergo public participation, proper stakeholder engagement, and concrete guarantees before implementation.

Until then, they say, teachers will remain under Minet or any other agreed scheme that secures their medical welfare.