Teachers across Kenya have warned that they may launch a nationwide strike at the end of April this year if the government does not urgently resolve issues related to their medical cover and the ongoing shortage of teaching staff.
Officials from the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) in Bungoma County say the situation has become increasingly difficult, particularly under the new medical scheme now managed by the Social Health Authority (SHA).
They argue that the challenges are affecting teachers’ ability to access proper healthcare and maintain their wellbeing.
Speaking to a gathering in Kabuchai Constituency on Friday, April 3, union leaders said access to medical services is very limited. Currently, only a handful of hospitals in the entire county are available to attend to teachers’ medical needs.
Ferdinand Wamalwa, KUPPET’s representative in Bungoma, warned that teachers will not hesitate to take industrial action if the issues are not addressed before the start of the new school term. “Here in Bungoma, we only have three hospitals in the entire county that are treating our teachers.
If the challenges with SHA are not fixed by next term, we will be forced to call for a very serious strike,” Wamalwa said.
He added, “We will instruct students to stay home as we carry out a full shutdown. This school holiday period is our final chance to see the government take serious steps to address these problems.”
In addition to the concerns over medical cover, the union has also criticized the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for failing to hire enough teachers.
This shortage, they say, has placed enormous pressure on the existing workforce, increasing workloads and creating a stressful teaching environment.
The move to the SHA medical scheme took effect on December 1, 2025, following a consultative meeting in November 2025 involving TSC, KUPPET, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and SHA officials.
The scheme was introduced with the promise of enhancing healthcare services for teachers nationwide, offering comprehensive medical coverage, including both outpatient and inpatient care.
The new scheme was also designed to provide dental and optical services, annual health checkups, ambulance services, overseas treatment, group life insurance, and coverage for teachers’ spouses and up to six dependents.
However, teachers now say the implementation has fallen short of expectations. They report that access to hospitals is extremely limited, and many are struggling to receive timely treatment in various medical facilities.
With the deadline for government action set for the start of the next term, pressure is intensifying on officials to resolve the crisis. Failure to act could result in widespread disruption of learning across the country, affecting students, parents, and the entire education system.
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