Mombasa JS Teachers want MINET Insurance Blacklisted Over Poor Services
Edwin Shereku one of the JSS Teachers addressing the Media at Tononoka. (Photo By George Otieno)
By George Otieno
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Junior Secondary (JS) and their senior counterparts in Mombasa County want Teachers Service Commission to terminate Minet insurance medical scheme because of its poor medical coverage.
Speaking in Mombasa on August 6, 2025, the teachers blamed their employer for ignoring their repeated calls to blacklist Minet insurance for the mistreatments they receive in hospitals while going for treatment and medical check-ups.
Led by Edwin Shereku, the tutors claimed their medical insurer always took too long to make approvals before the hospitals can commence admitting them or their families during normal hospital visits and emergency situations.
Shereku called for the complete overhaul of the medical scheme stating that teachers have suffered enough and were open to a new medical scheme with better conditions and premiums that can cover a wide range of services.
“When you go for medical services in different hospitals here in Mombasa, you might even fail to be treated or die because Minet’s bureaucracy in approving treatments,” he added.
According to him the teachers in the County are now living in fear of deaths or serious injuries together with their families and wants Minet blacklisted.
His sentiments were echoed by another colleaguevMs Mwanamkushi Nyama who lamented on the demeaning manner teachers were being exposed to when visiting medical facilities.
She claims teachers beg for services before they can be attended too.
“You go for treatment but you must call somebody to get approvals before you are attended too. This is demeaning to teachers.”
On her part, Akwi Lucy who is a teacher with visual disability complained that the medical scheme did not cover eye glasses that she desperately needed for her sight.
“I was forced to dig deep into my pockets to acquire these spectacles. I am wearing today because they are not covered by Minet scheme. We are suffering,” she complained.
On union matters, the JSS tutors demanded term limits be introduced in the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education (KUPPET) alleging that the body had stopped representing their interests.
“KUPPET is no longer in touch with what classroom teachers face. Our allowances are stagnant and they don’t reflect the current economic status,” they added.
The teachers further called for a generational change in the teacher’s union. They further demanded the retirement age of union officials to be reduced to 60 years from the current 65 years.
“These people have been in the office for long. They don’t have new ideas. They should all go home!”
The JSS teachers also took issues with their union for unexplained deductions on their July payslips.
“KUPPET purported to have negotiated for our salary increment where we received an increment of Ksh800, but funny enough, the same union goes ahead to deduct the whole amount as union dues. This is wrong and we want it stopped immediately.”
Mr. Shereku demanded KUPPET to refund all deductions it made on their payslips from the month the increment was effected. They vowed to vie for positions in the upcoming KUPPET union elections to “weed out the old brooms and appoint a vibrant new team”.
“Keep off our payslips. We earn very little and you are here to take everything to frustrate us. We will ensure we vote all of you out and bring new leadership,” he added.
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