The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Siaya Chapter wants its top leadership to push for its exit from the Social Health Authority (SHA), terming it as a scam.

Led by union chairman Katoni Odongo, they want teachers out of SHA and each teacher to be reimbursed for their medical allowances and be allowed to have medical insurance of their choice.

“This dispensation must deliver teachers from the circuses they have had for all these years. We won’t allow a union serviced by members not to serve its members; we want SG Akello Misori and his team to work on teachers’ SHA exit strategy,” Odongo said.

Speaking at Siaya’s governor’s park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Odongo said teachers must be consulted on the kinds of medical insurance they want and not SHA.

“I want to believe that this SHA, as currently operating, is not what President William Ruto had envisioned; something somewhere is not working right, and if it’s the vision of the president, then it must be revised. We want our SG to have a sitting with the president to revise this thing in the shortest time possible,” Odongo said, adding that Health CS Aden Dule must know that he is not dealing with quacks but professionals.

“Duale must know that he is no longer dealing with old Kenyans whom they could push anyhow. If Duale feels dissatisfied with the health docket, let him step aside for the president to pick a health practitioner on the docket.”

He added that as teachers, they are not impressed by the way the ruling government is dealing with teachers of this country.

“We are in a government that treats us as lesser public servants,” he said.

SHA frustrations

According to Kuppet Secretary General Richard Agot, the efficiency of SHA systems has frustrated teachers seeking discharge in Siaya hospitals. A case in hand is Bama Hospital, where a teacher who delivered last week could not be released because the system was down.

Agot said he has received complaints from members that the minimum balance of their SHA is less than Ksh20; this resulted in delay in care, frustrations and extreme cases of loss of life.

“Hospitals are forcing teachers to co-pay with SHA because the minimum outpatient cover has reduced drastically from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 2,500, and now we are told it’s Ksh 1,200,” he added.

“The amount allocated to a teacher is not enough for us to seek medical services. Doctors’ consultation amount takes the entire amount, hence deterring teachers from laboratory tests and drugs.”

School capitation

We are therefore condemning the low capitation and inadequate limits given to teachers.”

Agot said teachers are denied dental and eye services by some hospitals in Siaya due to low allocation.

“Some of the hospitals we are being referred to in Siaya have faulty equipment. At Siaya Referral Hospital, the endoscope broke down a year ago. The public facilities accredited by the SHA, pharmacies, are always empty, thus denying teachers drugs. We are appealing that the scope and coverage must be expanded for teachers to get adequate treatment,” Agot said.

He noted that some hospitals reject SHA patients, especially Heaven Hospital in Bondo.

“The hospitals demand cash from clients, and yet we are being told we have a comprehensive cover,” he added.

The government must find an alternative to the funding and sustainability crisis where teachers’ money is remitted to SHA, yet we don’t access services, and it now appears that the AON scheme is better than SHA,” Agot said.

He noted that the emergency response in Siaya is poor when it comes to treatment of teachers.

“The facilities accredited by SHA are not facilitated despite sending claims, and this frustrates the operations of the institutions. Customer care is ineffective, and there are no ambulance services,” he said.

“There are administrative policy gaps where couples are deducted and can’t benefit from the cover of spouses.”