President William Ruto has assured teachers of improved medical services under the Social Health Authority (SHA).
Speaking during the 61st Labour Day celebrations in Vihiga, the President said teachers will be able to access treatment at 9,000 hospitals across the country, up from the initial 900 facilities.
He noted the hurdles faced by teachers and other public servants were due to transitional operational challenges of the scheme, adding that the revised arrangement will open access to Level 6 hospitals to enhance the range and quality of health services available to teachers.
Ruto said the improvements follow consultations between the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
“Let me assure all workers, especially teachers and public officials, that those challenges are being decisively addressed. The government has already withdrawn the restrictive tariff mechanisms and initiated a structured, nationwide engagement with healthcare providers,” he said.
The President’s remarks come against the backdrop of sustained complaints by teachers over the implementation of SHA, which had threatened to escalate into industrial action.
Teachers, through KUPPET and KNUT, had raised concerns over denied treatment, delays in accessing services and lack of clarity on complaint channels, with some members reportedly turned away from hospitals or forced to incur costs directly despite being covered.
At the same time, Ruto described SHA as a game-changer in Kenya’s healthcare reforms, saying the number of Kenyans covered under the national health insurance system had risen from about 8 million three years ago to 30.8 million currently.
According to the President, the shift translates to roughly 65 per cent of the population now covered, compared to just 16 per cent under the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund.
“This is not a marginal improvement, it is a fundamental shift, one that is restoring dignity in times of illness, extending protection to millions of families, and accelerating our journey towards truly universal health coverage,” he said.
