KNUT threatens nationwide strike in January over plans to migrate them to SHA

Nairobi, Kenya — The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has issued a threat to call for a nationwide strike in January 2026 should the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) proceed with the planned migration of teachers from their current private medical scheme to the Social Health Authority (SHA) without addressing union concerns.
Key issues at stake:
KNUT officials claim the move to SHA is being forced unilaterally and argue that teachers are being treated unfairly compared to other civil‑servants whose private health insurance covers remain intact.
The unions are demanding transparency on how the new SHA scheme will function — including capitation rates, benefits, hospital networks, referral systems and how existing similarities/differences from the current cover will be handled.
The TSC has invited unions (KNUT, the Kenya Union of Post‑Primary Teachers (KUPPET) and the Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET)) to meetings in Nairobi to deliberate the transition.
Background context:
The government argues that the current medical cover for teachers (through the private scheme) is unsustainable, pointing to higher inpatient costs for teachers compared to the civil service average.
With the transition planned to cover around 400,000 educators across the country, the scale of the change is large and the unions say they were not sufficiently consulted.