Kenya’s public unions, led by Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Davji Attellah, have issued a 14-day strike notice in protest against the government’s new Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance plan.
Attellah criticized the administration for failing to resolve the healthcare crisis that has worsened since the transition from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to SHA.
Attellah stated, “Despite repeated warnings and feedback from Kenyans, the hurried implementation of SHA has caused significant challenges for civil servants, public sector workers, and the general public.” He noted that access to healthcare, previously available under NHIF, has been significantly delayed, with unclear communication on SHA’s offerings.
The unions claim that SHA not only provides fewer services but also deducts more from workers’ salaries. “SHA is deducting more from workers’ salaries but providing less. This is unacceptable, as workers are paying more for substandard services, threatening their well-being,” Attellah said. With the high cost of living, SHA has exacerbated the financial strain on families.
Adding to the tension, the unions argue that the transition has jeopardized the jobs of those previously employed under NHIF. In their demand letter to the Ministry of Health, they called on the government to guarantee the full transition of NHIF employees to SHA with all benefits intact.
“We demand a 100 percent transition of previously employed NHIF employees with full benefits. If these concerns are not addressed within 14 days, public sector unions will have no choice but to proceed with industrial action,” the union’s statement read.
