A high-level consultative meeting between National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and teachers from across Bungoma County has brought renewed focus to the challenges facing educators under the Social Health Authority (SHA) scheme.
Hosting the teachers on Saturday at his Kanduyi residence, the Speaker held an extensive engagement session where union officials, head teachers and classroom teachers laid bare the difficulties they are encountering in accessing quality healthcare under the new system.
“The issues you have raised are weighty and cannot be ignored. I am taking this up personally and will meet Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale to ensure practical and immediate solutions are found.” Wetang’ula said after listening to the teacher.
The meeting, which drew representation from both Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), saw union leaders unanimously back the Speaker’s intervention, describing it as timely and necessary.
Bungoma East KNUT Executive Secretary, Mr. Mandila, welcomed the Speaker’s commitment, saying teachers across the county had been struggling in silence.
“We appreciate the Speaker for giving us a listening ear. Teachers are suffering under SHA due to delays, limited access to services and high out-of-pocket costs. His intervention gives us hope that these issues will finally be addressed,” said Mandila.
KUPPET Bungoma Executive Secretary Mr. Augustine Luketero echoed the concerns, noting that despite government assurances, little had changed on the ground.
“Teachers are still paying from their pockets for services that should be covered. The Speaker’s decision to escalate this matter to the Ministry is exactly what we needed,” Luketero said.
School heads also voiced their support. Bungoma County Secondary Schools Heads Association chair Mr. Robert Nabiswa said the health challenges were affecting teacher productivity.
“When teachers are unable to access proper healthcare, it directly impacts learning. We fully support the Speaker’s efforts to push for reforms in SHA,” he said.
Other teacher leaders from Webuye West, Kimilili and Mt. Elgon constituencies reiterated similar concerns, urging the government to restore comprehensive medical cover comparable to previous schemes.
Wetang’ula noted that the challenges raised in Bungoma mirror complaints from other regions including Kuria, Narok and Ndhiwa, underscoring the national scale of the problem.
“This is not just a Bungoma issue, it is a national concern that must be fixed,” he emphasized.
Area leaders, including Tongaren MP Hon. John Chikati, Webuye West MP Hon. Martin Pepela and Bungoma Woman Representative Hon. Catherine Wambilyanga, also attended the meeting and backed the teachers’ position.
Wambilyanga warned that failure to act could trigger industrial unrest.
“If these issues are not resolved, teachers have every right to take action,” she said.
Beyond healthcare, the meeting also addressed education sector challenges, with teachers calling for urgent recruitment to support Grade 10 and Junior Secondary School learners, as well as greater autonomy for JSS educators.
The consultative forum concluded with a unified resolution that the Ministry of Health must urgently streamline SHA operations to ensure teachers access affordable, reliable and quality healthcare without undue financial strain.
