Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Secretary General Akello Misori (centre) addresses the media flanked by union officials after a consultative meeting at Sports View, Kasarani, Nairobi, on March 3, 2026, where they outlined resolutions on teachers’ welfare, CBA implementation, promotions, deployment and education funding, and called for urgent government engagement.
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has put the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Social Health Authority (SHA) on notice, demanding urgent reforms in the management of teachers’ medical cover, alleging teachers are being detained in hospitals over unpaid bills.
The union also called for full autonomy of junior secondary schools, warning that the current administrative arrangement undermines the smooth implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
The resolutions were reached after a day-long meeting bringing together officials elected from junior secondary schools and members of KUPPET’s National Executive Board in Nairobi on March 2.
KUPPET secretary-general Akello Misori said the transition from AON Minet to the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund administered by SHA has left teachers vulnerable and exposed.
Chairperson Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Omboko Milemba (centre) addresses the media flanked by union officials after a consultative meeting at Sports View, Kasarani, Nairobi, on March 3, 2026, where they outlined resolutions on teachers’ welfare, CBA implementation, promotions, deployment and education funding, and called for urgent government engagement.
“The health cover under SHA is not working at all and is not giving our teachers the comfort, we anticipated when we were assured that this facility would work,” said Mr Misori.
He demanded that TSC and SHA management “come out clean” on how the scheme is supposed to operate, arguing that teachers, who are among the highest contributors to the fund, should not be subjected to public fundraisers to clear hospital bills.
“We cannot be subjected to opening paybill numbers to address hospital bills when teachers are the heaviest taxed members of the public service who contribute to SHA. In terms of our contributions, we are the ones sustaining SHA, and we cannot accept a situation where we are organising harambees yet we did not have these arrangements before,” he said.
Mr Misori further challenged SHA Chief Executive, Mercy Mwangangi, to take charge of the situation and provide clarity on whom teachers should contact when payment disputes arise.
Social Health Authority CEO Dr Mercy Mwangangi.
“If teachers are told after three days of treatment that they have exhausted their cover, then it means the arrangement with SHA isn’t working. Some facilities where teachers are supposed to get help are also turning them away,” he said.
He cited a case in which the body of a teacher from Busia was withheld at Nairobi West Hospital over an unpaid bill that SHA has allegedly failed to settle.
KUPPET national chairman Omboko Milemba said at least 14 teachers are currently detained in hospitals across the country due to unpaid bills, with some having already died.
“We forgot the issue of raising funds for colleagues about fifteen years ago when we were onboarded to AON Minet, and we shall not do any harambees now. Either SHA works for teachers or it quits if it cannot support their medical cover,” he said.
The TSC in December last year migrated teachers from Minet to the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund administered by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
The comprehensive medical cover under SHA includes benefits such as inpatient and outpatient services, maternity care, chronic illness management, dental services, optical services, air evacuation, last expenses and overseas treatment.
Teachers Service Commission Acting CEO Evaleen Mitei.
On education reforms, KUPPET demanded that junior secondary schools be treated as independent institutions to ensure the effective rollout of CBE.
Mr Misori said teachers in junior schools must be granted autonomy in managing sports, finances and procurement of equipment for learning areas.
“The government must know that learning at our junior school centres is dysfunctional. For it to be functional, junior school teachers must be given the autonomy they deserve,” he said.
He warned that the current arrangement, where junior schools are hosted in primary schools, contributes to systemic inefficiencies that could undermine the success of CBE.
“We cannot afford to destroy generations because of management issues. Junior secondary schools must be looked at as independent entities with their own principals, deputy principals, teachers, students, promotions and career progression structures,” added Mr Milemba.
The union also warned that it would leverage legal instruments regarding the continued engagement of 44,000 intern teachers by TSC without confirmation.
“You cannot engage workers as interns when they are registered professionals. We are giving TSC an ultimatum to style up, because soon we will adopt the legal framework to address this issue,” Mr Misori said.
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