By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
The National Police Service has issued a warning to striking doctors and clinical officers over the peaceful demonstrations they have been holding.
Members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union as well as Clinical Officers have been staging protests as they push the government to honour the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
But according to the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, the medics have been holding the demonstrations without notifying they as required by law.
Further, the police boss noted that the demos have inconvenienced several motorists.
“The National Police Service takes cognizance of the ongoing doctor’s strike with utmost concern. The service has witnessed and received reports of the inconveniences arising from the stroke, with medics lying on the streets thus obstructing highways, public roads and disrupting free flow of vehicles and movement of people,” Koome said in part of the statement issued on Sunday, April 14, 2024.
The Police IG further noted that the striking medics had become a public nuisance, blowing whistles and vuvuzelas during demonstrations in the process causing discomfort to patients in hospitals and general public.
As the strike enters the fourth week, police have warned of non-medics who intend to cause havoc and terror to the public by joining the procession of striking doctors.
With this in mind, the police boss has directed all Police Commanders to deal with such situations firmly and decisively in accordance with the law.
“We wish to caution all doctors to refrain from infringing on the rights of others while demonstrating, and that their efforts to disrupt smooth operations of hospitals will not be tolerated,” Koome said.
He however assured members of the public that the country is safe and that the National Police Service remains committed to maintaining law and order.
The court has declared the ongoing doctor’s strike illegal but the medics insist it’s the government that has failed to adhere to the law by disregarding the 2017 CBA.
The CBA provides for among others huge salary to medical interns.
However, the government insists it is only able to pay Ksh70,000 for the interns and not the other Ksh206,000 provided in the now-contentious CBA.