Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has assured teachers that preparations for the transition of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) are on course ahead of the planned December 1, 2025, rollout.
Koskei spoke after a high-level meeting with officials from the TSC and the SHA steering committee to review progress and assess readiness for the shift.
The transition forms part of the government’s broader reform of the national health financing framework, aimed at enhancing equitable and sustainable access to healthcare.
Koskei noted that mechanisms to improve coordination between the two institutions are already in place, with technical teams working together to align policies, streamline systems, and ensure continuity of services for teachers during and after the transfer.
“We have reviewed the state of preparedness, and I am satisfied that the transition is progressing well,” Koskei said.
“Measures to strengthen institutional coordination have been put in place to guarantee a smooth implementation of the planned transfer.”
The government has indicated that integrating TSC under the SHA framework is expected to ease access to benefits, reduce administrative duplication, and improve service delivery for teachers and their dependents.
Under the plan, all teachers currently covered by the Minet medical scheme will move to SHA, a change agreed upon with teachers’ unions.
SHA aims to provide a comprehensive medical insurance plan for over 400,000 teachers and their dependents.
The scheme is expected to offer expanded benefits, including access to more hospitals and coverage for up to five children, compared with four under the Minet scheme.
SHA coverage will include inpatient and outpatient care, dental and optical services, overseas treatment and evacuation, maternity care, radiology services, drug and substance abuse treatment, chronic illness management, annual medical check-ups, and tests for organ donors.
SHA CEO Mercy Mwangangi has indicated that the government plans to expand benefits within the scheme over time.
Teachers will also be enrolled in the public officers’ medical scheme, which will provide additional coverage if SHA benefits are exhausted.
The new coverage will include the teacher, their spouse, and up to five children.
SHA will assume responsibility for managing teachers’ health benefits, integrating TSC members into its broader social health schemes.
The transition is designed to ensure that teachers receive efficient, timely, and standardised healthcare services under a centralised system.
This move is part of ongoing reforms under Kenya’s health financing framework aimed at streamlining service delivery and improving access to healthcare for teachers and their families.
