At least 2000 teachers from Nakuru and neighbouring counties affiliated to Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) on Friday took to the streets at over the proposed teachers' medical cover.
Speaking on Friday at Egerton University during the demonstrations, the teachers called on National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to reverse the rates to avoid further standoff and urged the union to consider the teachers’ views before hiking the rates.
The Union’s Nakuru Branch Executive Council, led by Chairman Sammy Kambo, said that they have rejected the new NHIF rates.
“Members of Kuppet will not support the proposed teachers' medical cover since we were not consulted,” said Kambo.
The demonstrations comes at a time when Kuppet has vowed to push for the resignation of Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) board over the proposed medical cover.
Kambo said that they will force Sossion to leave the NHIF board should he refuse to change his stand on the matter.
The demonstrating teachers waving placards and singing slogans against Knut, vowed to resist, by all means, any plan to have them deducted the new rates, adding that they were ready to seek legal intervention on the matter.
“The deduction is unconstitutional and we will use every means to block the new rates,” said Kambo.
James Kariuki, a teacher said that the deduction will cripple them financially.
“Most of the teachers depend on loans to make ends meet and the increase in NHIF rates will make us beggars,” said Kariuki.