The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has confirmed plans to transition all teachers from their current medical insurance cover to the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund under the Social Health Authority (SHA) starting December 1, 2025.
The move will come after the expiry of the existing contract with a consortium led by Minet Kenya on November 30, 2025.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, TSC acting chief executive Eveleen Mitei said the preparations for the transition were already underway.
The scheme currently covers 415,000 teachers and their dependants, and its non-renewal sets the stage for the new arrangement.
“It is proposed that all teachers will be on-boarded to the Public Officers’ Medical Scheme Fund under the Social Health Authority (SHA) from December 1, 2025,” she told the committee on Thursday.
Mitei, who was accompanied by TSC’s legal director Calvin Ayuor, explained that discussions began in May 2025, bringing on board several government agencies.
A technical working group involving the National Treasury, the Attorney-General, the National Police Service, and the SHA has been formed to address legal and budgetary matters for the shift.
Legislators, however, questioned the limited time left to finalise the transition framework, the smooth onboarding of such a large number of teachers, and the possibility of losing existing benefits.
In response, Ayuor assured lawmakers that teachers would retain freedom of choice.
“This scheme that we are coming up with is more or less taking the structure of the scheme we are exiting. SHA has empanelled hospitals and the teachers will be free to go to hospitals of their choice,” he said.
Mitei added that the commission was working with urgency to ensure a seamless process.
“We are carrying our scheme as it is with concurrence from SHA, so what we are waiting for is the allocation of funds from the Treasury. We have already submitted the cost of our scheme,” she noted, adding that the framework would be ready by the end of September 2025.
The development follows a State House meeting with teachers’ unions and associations, where it was announced that educators would benefit from a more comprehensive cover under SHA.
For years, teachers have raised concerns over the quality of services under Minet Kenya, citing delays in authorisation for treatment, mandatory referrals, suspended facilities, and a shortage of doctors in many empanelled hospitals.
Under Minet Kenya’s tiered system, the benefits depended on job groups. Chief principals had an inpatient limit of up to Sh3 million, outpatient cover of Sh450,000, maternity benefits of Sh300,000, and a funeral package of a similar amount.
Senior secondary school teachers accessed inpatient cover of Sh1.3 million and outpatient benefits of Sh200,000, while entry-level primary school teachers enjoyed inpatient cover of Sh1 million and outpatient benefits of Sh150,000.
To secure stakeholder support, TSC has scheduled a meeting with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).
During the State House forum, President William Ruto directed that TSC, the Ministry of Education, teachers’ unions, and head teachers’ associations form a technical committee to review the scheme.
Before the adoption of medical insurance, teachers used to receive a monthly medical allowance that proved insufficient to cater for healthcare needs.
This led to the introduction of a medical scheme for teachers, civil servants, and members of disciplined forces, which later evolved into the current arrangement now set for replacement under SHA.
