Teachers Threaten to Strike in January Over Medical Scheme

Teachers have threatened to go on strike in January should the government fail to disburse Ksh10 billion meant for their medical insurance cover.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Kiambu branch Secretary General Samuel Muiruri expressed frustrations over the government’s failure to renew the cover.

He noted that the medical insurance cover was previously renewed every November, however, according to him, that was not the case this year.

Muiruri disclosed that the government’s failure to renew the covers inconvenienced many teachers as some of them were being denied health services despite deductions of the same.

While calling on the government’s intervention, the KNUT official stated that teachers would not resume schools next month unless the government heed their demand.

“This is money that was deducted from teachers’ payslips and the cover was negotiated between the employer and the teachers union. Already we are paying the Social Health Authority cover, we pay for two health insurance schemes,” Muiruri stated.

This issue is very sensitive and must be taken very seriously, if the money is not remitted by January then the teachers will go to the streets,” he added.

He further revealed that the notice about the forthcoming demonstrations to demand medical cover had already been communicated to all the KNUT branches across the country.

The announcement comes even as parents and students continue to prepare for the school reopening which has been scheduled for January 6, 2025.

This follows the recent lecturer’s strike which paralysed learning activities across public universities in the country for more than two months since September. 

However, the lecturers’ strike came to an end in November after the government promised to fulfil the 2021-2025 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), valued at Ksh9.76 billion.