The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET) wrote a letter to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) demanding a favourable medical coverage.
In an address to the press on Tuesday, October 11, the union argued that the existing medical cover did not include teachers and other relevant stakeholders.
Additionally, the teacher's commission was accused of monopolising selection of insurance policy providers.
"We cannot have teachers complaining all the time because of medical cover. The teacher is expected to go back to the classroom after seven days if they get sick," the union's Chairman Omboko Milemba lamented.
The union has asked TSC to seek alternative insurance providers to cater to the huge number of teachers., over 300,000 teachers on the government payroll.
Notably, Omboko stated that it was unfair to expect teachers to foresee when they will get sick noting that it is unreasonable to give them rigid days to seek medical assistance.
Moses Nthurima, the union’s deputy secretary general, called for the inclusion of the tutors and other relevant stakeholders in the issuance of policies.
"When this policy was implemented, the teachers were not involved despite the fact there is a law that calls for participation of key players before a policy is implemented," Nthurima complained.
"We are demanding the involvement of teachers in the decision-making process. We ask the commission to consider the NHIF comprehensive medical cover,” he added.
The union's demands come days after the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General, Collins Oyuu, proposed salary increments to cushion teachers as the cost of living continues skyrocketing.
"Teachers can only work if they are motivated and well paid. I propose a 60 per cent salary increment regardless of the economic status of the country," the secretary general stated.
Speaking during the World Teachers Day celebrations, he called upon the proposed Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) task force to be all-inclusive of the stakeholders.
