Kuppet issues seven-day strike notice over unpaid capitation, medical scheme funds
KUPPET has warned that if the government fails to address the outstanding issues within the next seven days, teachers across the country will down tools, further disrupting the education sector.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a seven-day strike notice, threatening nationwide industrial action if the government fails to release over Sh39 billion owed to teachers.
The union is demanding the release of Sh28 billion in school capitation funds and Sh11 billion in medical scheme remittances.
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Addressing the press on Friday, March 14, KUPPET accused the government of breaching court orders and failing to fulfill commitments made under a return-to-work formula signed in August 2024.
The formula, which was filed with the courts, is legally binding, and the union claims the government is in defiance of these orders.
KUPPET Acting Secretary General Moses Nthurima said the crisis extends beyond schools, affecting teachers’ access to healthcare due to the stalled disbursement of medical capitation funds.
He warned that the Sh22 billion Teachers’ Medical Scheme is on the verge of collapse, with private and rural mission hospitals suspending services over unpaid bills.
“Medical capitation funds were last released in September 2024 following the return-to-work formula/court consent signed between KUPPET and the Teachers Service Commission to end the industrial action by KUPPET over the scheme,” Nthurima noted.
Capitation funds
According to KUPPET, the government has not disbursed capitation funds for the past eight months.
While some funds were released in September to address the capitation issue, KUPPET officials revealed that only Sh4,000 per student was remitted, far below the Sh11,000 per student that was expected.
The delayed payments have severely impacted schools, with many students being sent home due to lack of funds.
Despite a directive from Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba in January 2025 urging schools not to send students home over unpaid fees, many institutions have been unable to operate effectively.
In August 2024, KUPPET had led a one-week strike to demand the full implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which included demands for teacher promotions and the regularisation of employment terms for junior secondary school teachers.
The strike ended after KUPPET and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) reached an agreement, which included salary adjustments and the restoration of funds for the teachers' medical scheme.
KUPPET has warned that if the government fails to address the outstanding issues within the next seven days, teachers across the country will down tools, further disrupting the education sector.
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