Teachers have vowed to go on strike in January if the government fails to deliver Ksh10 billion for their medical insurance.
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Kiambu branch Secretary General, Samuel Muiruri, expressed disappointment at the government’s failure to renew the cover.
He stated that the medical insurance coverage was previously renewed in November, but that was not the case this year.
Muiruri revealed that the government’s reluctance to renew the covers inconvenienced many teachers since some of them were denied health care despite deductions for the same.
While seeking government involvement, the KNUT official indicated that teachers will not resume classes 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,” Muiruri stated.
“Already we are paying the Social Health Authority cover, we pay for two health insurance schemes. “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 also claimed that the notification of the upcoming rallies to seek medical coverage had already been distributed to all KNUT branches around the country.
The statement comes as parents and students continue to prepare for the school’s projected reopening on January 6, 2025.
This follows the recent lecturer strike, which halted learning activities at the country’s public institutions for more than two months beginning in September.
However, the lecturers’ strike ended in November after the government pledged to fulfill the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), valued at Ksh9.76 billion.
