In a joint statement issued by Duale, SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi and Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu, the CS confirmed the resolution of key benefit administration issues affecting teachers under the medical scheme, including last expense claims, overseas treatment and support for catastrophic health cases.
Under the Last Expense Benefit, a total of 160 claims have been fully processed, with payments of Sh300,000 per case set to be disbursed to next of kin starting Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
“A prompt and seamless claims process has been established,” the CS said, noting that the benefit is payable upon the demise of a principal member.
On specialized care, the CS confirmed that SHA has finalized the contracting of overseas referral facilities to handle complex and life-threatening conditions that cannot be managed locally.
Several top-tier hospitals in Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia have been onboarded, with the first patient scheduled to travel out of the country Tuesday night for treatment.
“The facilities and access guidelines have been published, and we encourage teachers to utilise the contracted hospitals for specialized care,” Duale said.
To cushion teachers facing extreme medical costs, the government has also operationalised an Ex-Gratia Management Framework. The mechanism allows teachers whose treatment exceeds standard cover limits to formally apply for additional financial support.
Under the arrangement, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will receive and vet applications before forwarding them to SHA for settlement of approved compassionate claims.
On Sunday, the Kenya National Union of Teachers issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government, demanding an immediate resolution to challenges surrounding the Social Health Authority.
The union maintained that recent agreements with the Ministry of Health and stakeholders have not fully addressed the challenges facing educators, warning that failure to act within the set timeline could trigger industrial action
Leave a Reply