Row over Sh5.6billion teachers medical cover rages on

NAIROBI, KENYA: The controversy surrounding teachers Sh 5.6 billion medical cover escalated yesterday with senior staff at the teachers' employer maintaining the tender process was flawed.

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) deputy chairperson Cleopas Tirop said the procurement process of the medical cover was 'flawed from start' and accused the procurement review board of 'missing the point.'

He also took a swipe at the insurance firm as 'a broker without capacity to deliver' a comprehensive cover for all the 288,000 teachers.

"As Commissioners, we must play our oversight role. We cannot keep quiet when something has gone wrong. This AON Kenya Insurance Brokers (AON) is just that. A broker. We cannot trust them to deliver a good cover for teachers," he said.

Tirop said AON deal does not make economic sense. "Of the Sh 5.6 billion, they will take away Sh 1 billion just for administrative work. Then they leave TSC with the Sh 4.6 to fund the cover. This means that they also pass all the risks to the commission," he said.

The teachers' medical tender is said to have split TSC secretariat and Commissioners.

"The secretariat believes the process was done above board while the Commissioners also think otherwise. And this is a major concern at the TSC now," said a source privy to the details.

Salome Gichura and Saadia Kontoma and Tirop are the current TSC Commissioners with Lydia Nzomo as the commission's chairperson.

Efforts to get comments from Nzomo were futile as she neither responded to text messages sent to her nor picked phone calls.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) yesterday warned the Commissioners to keep off the multi- billion shillings medical cover noting that they have no role in the procurement process.

Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion yesterday said the procurement review board already gave the tendering process 'a clean bill of health' and now wants an immediate roll out to benefit teachers.

Speaking for the first time after TSC senior officials contested the robust teachers medical cover tender award, Sossion said any further delay shall invite 'industrial pressure from teachers.'

He said the union is privy to information that some 'cartel' is keen on denying teachers their right to health cover by poking holes on the tendering process.

"We have been so quiet because we wanted the proper process followed. The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board (PPARB) has analysed the procurement process and made a ruling. What else is being contested?" said Sossion.

"If there were any flaws they should have been identified by now. Whose is keen to derail a process involving money that teachers contributed and pulled together to benefit them?" he added.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (Kuppet) secretary general Akelo Misori said Commissioners 'messed themselves up' and challenged them to come clean.

" If Commissioners' hands are not dirty in this thing, let them sort it out immediately and deliver the cover to teachers,' said Misori.