The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has moved swiftly to avert a potential crisis in the education sector in the North Rift region after an initial threat by teachers.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu on Thursday, February 6, assured teachers in the North Rift that all their issues would be addressed, amid concerns over medical cover.
Oyuu's swift response came days after teachers gave their employer, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), 24 hours to respond to their concerns lest they would kick off their industrial action.
According to the teachers unions the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), the tutors have been unable to access treatment after their insurance provider reduced the number of accessible healthcare facilities.
The teachers further lamented that the only healthcare facilities they had access to lacked adequate equipment and failed to meet the standards of Level 4 and Level 5 hospitals, potentially compromising the quality of care they received.
While admitting that the teachers' challenges were genuine, Oyuu assured them that the issue of medical cover had been restored.
"Like today, as we came to talk about the issue of medical covers, a number of hospitals had been withdrawn and could not provide medical cover," the KNUT secretary general.
Lifecare, Top Hill, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital have also been reinstated as institutions where teachers can have direct access to quality healthcare.
Oyuu added, "We are leaving no issue to chance. As we started in the morning we vowed to leave no stone unturned until teachers get proper services. That is why it has taken the whole day to address some of these issues."
The KNUT Secretary General's comments came days after hundreds of teachers, led by representatives from KNUT and KUPPET, marched to Minet's North Rift offices in Eldoret, demanding immediate resolution to the healthcare disruption that has particularly affected those with chronic conditions.
The education sector in the country has grappled with consistent threats of strikes from both learners and teachers alike over an array of concerns in recent months. While the situation in the North Rift appears to have been resolved, ECDE teachers in Nyamira County are also intending to go on strike over salary underpayment.
Not only did the teachers express concerns over salary delays, they also claimed their retainer is often lower than the recommended salary from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
