Why teachers unions have agreed to join SHA

After months of push and pull over healthcare reforms, more than 400,000 Kenyan teachers and their dependents are now set to transition from the Minet Kenya medical cover to the state-managed Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme beginning December 1, 2025.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Monday confirmed that it had reached an agreement with teachers’ unions, marking the end of months of uncertainty over the future of teachers’ health benefits.

The attention now shifts to implementation a phase that will test whether the new national model can deliver the reliability, efficiency, and trust teachers have long demanded in their healthcare system.

TSC Acting Chief Executive Officer Evelyne Mitei said the move follows weeks of consultations that culminated in a consensus between the Commission, unions, and the SHA on how the migration will take place once Minet’s contract expires on November 30.

“It’s been a very fruitful engagement with our social partners on the medical scheme. They’ve given us a lot of input that we will take into consideration as we finalize the scheme,” Mitei said.

The transition represents a major policy shift for TSC, which for nearly a decade has relied on a consortium of private insurers led by Minet to administer teachers’ medical benefits. 

The current scheme, valued at Sh20 billion annually, provides tiered benefits ranging from Sh100,000 to Sh375,000 for outpatient care and up to Sh2.5 million for inpatient treatment depending on job group.

While the Minet system has long been praised for offering access to private and mission hospitals, it has equally faced criticism for delays in authorizations, poor service in rural areas, and limited provider networks. 

Members of Parliament have in recent years accused TSC of mismanaging the scheme and called for greater transparency in contracting and benefit disclosure.

Under the new arrangement, the SHA scheme will absorb teachers into a universal health coverage framework funded by statutory deductions and government contributions. 

Teachers will contribute 2.75 per cent of their gross salary to the national pool, which will be managed under three separate funds—Primary Healthcare Fund, the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the Emergency, Critical, and Chronic Illness Fund.

SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi said the new plan seeks to expand access and equity in service delivery across the country.

“We are looking at an expanded network of providers, from about 800 to over 9,600 facilities. This means teachers will have access to more hospitals than before,” Dr Mwangangi said.

The new system, she added, will retain existing benefits such as inpatient, outpatient, dental, optical, maternity, and chronic illness cover while increasing the number of dependents per teacher from five to six.

Still, the transition has not been without resistance. For months, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) opposed the migration, citing fears over service quality and uncertainty about how the new framework would operate.

KNUT Secretary-General Collins Oyuu said union leaders have now accepted the shift after securing firm assurances on key issues such as oversight, service delivery, and termination clauses.

“What we’ve agreed is that this will be a comprehensive cover for teachers and their families. Our duty as union leaders is to make sure the scheme provides quality services. There is also a clear clause allowing cancellation within three months if the plan fails to meet expectations,” Oyuu said.

He urged teachers to embrace the change calmly and avoid panic.

“Let us not get worried. Our members should rest assured that both at county and national levels, we shall have structures monitoring progress and challenges. We must run away from negative perceptions and focus on real issues,” he added.

KUPPET Secretary-General Akelo Misori echoed the call for vigilance, noting that teachers deserve clarity on coverage and benefits before the scheme takes effect.

“We need to see the fine print the capitation levels, referral rules, and scope of services. Our members must not lose out during the switch,” Misori said.

TSC has pledged that the migration will be “seamless, transparent, and fair.” 

Mitei revealed that a joint technical committee has been formed to oversee the transition, alongside county and national oversight teams comprising TSC officials and union representatives.

“We are engaging all stakeholders to ensure teachers benefit from the expanded access SHA promises. The new scheme is designed to address past challenges such as limited providers, lengthy pre-authorizations, and inconsistent service quality,” she said.