Kenyan Teachers considering a private health insurer instead of NHIF, KNUT says

KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sosion presents a trophy to Miss KNUT Pageant winner Caroline Oyata in Awendo, Migori County. [PHOTO: STANLEY ONGWAE/STANDARD]

MIGORI: Teachers will go for their own-sourced health insurance scheme, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has said.

The official's utterance comes amid a court battle between the teachers and State to have newly increased National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) rates de-gazetted.

The union also has maintained a hard line stance that the private health cover provider AON who had won the tender to provide teachers with the health scheme will remain their choice despite government action to force its members into NHIF cover.

Sossion faulted the government for hurrying implementation of the new NHIF rates, something which he termed as retrogressive.

"What the officials (top leaders in education, labour and Teachers Service Commission) are seeing is the Sh25 billion from teachers which they want to enter into another 'chicken' scheme to loot. But we want to stand firm and defend what we know only very well that it belongs to us and we are the ones to determine what we feel will be the value for our money," said Sossion.

The secretary general faulted the government decision to unfairly expunge AON, after it won the bid to give teachers health cover and bring in NHIF.

He further questioned the motive behind the health insurance provider's move to reviewing its rates upwards by almost double.

Also questionable, according to Sossion was the hurry with which the rates were gazetted.

He noted that teachers, who are the major stakeholders in the system, were never properly consulted and that their views were disregarded.

The proposal KNUT gave for the implementation of the scheme with the government insurer was that treasury pays a percentage of the premiums payable to the scheme.

"We have seen other countries like Tanzania offer subsidy of up to three percent on costs of health insurance cover but in Kenya where we claim we are ahead in the region the same cannot happen," said Sosion.

He was speaking in Awendo town over the weekend when he presided over Rongo Sub-branch annual general meeting.