Teachers have opposed a proposal by the government to come up with a new health insurance scheme for them. Through their umbrella body, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), they said the Ministry of Public Service wants to introduce the scheme where they will remit a total of Sh300 million per month as part of the policy cover.   Knut secretary-general David Okuta vowed to resist any attempt by the government to deduct teachers’ salaries towards the scheme without their consent. 

“We will not accept our medical allowances to be scrapped and replaced by an insurance scheme we don’t know.“We know some people in government have colluded with some investors in insurance firms to exploit us. “But let us tell them that they will not get a single cent from our own sweat,” Mr Okuta said.

Mr Okuta, who was accompanied by Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion and assistant treasurer Richard Kibagendi, spoke during the Nyamira branch union elections held at Kebirigo Secondary School.He reminded the government that the teachers’ medical allowances were given to them after a long struggle and could, therefore, not allow them to be scrapped. 

Mr Okuta said currently many teachers have insurance covers with various companies and there was no need to force them to join the new scheme.Mr Okuta, Mr Sossion and Mr Kibagendi led the more than 4,000 teachers from the branch in rejecting the employment of teachers on contract.

“We are giving the Teachers Service Commission up to the end of this week to confirm teachers employed two years ago on contract to be confirmed because such employment terms are illegal,” said Mr Okuta

During the meeting, Mr Kennedy Nyamwanda was elected chairman. Others elected include Mr Julius Matwere (executive secretary), Mr Evans Obiri (assistant secretary), Mr Thomas Osiemo (treasurer), Mr Julius Obike (assistant treasurer) and Ms Cecilia Ondima (women representative).