NAIROBI, Kenya, April 15-Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has said that the demonstrations by doctors and hospital staff are a nuisance to the public.
According to the IG, emergency personnel were lying on the streets during the demonstrations, blocking the free movement of highways, public roads, vehicles, and people.
Mr Koome also said that it is against Kenyan law for the health workers to take part in the demonstration without notifying police officers.
“Medical professionals have become a public nuisance by blowing whistles and vuvuzelas during demonstrations, causing discomfort to hospital patients and the general public,” the IG said in a statement on Sunday.
He further stated that non-medical professionals intend to take part in the ongoing demonstrations to wreak havoc on public resources and disrupt businesses.
Therefore, medical professionals are urged to conduct their demonstrations with caution, as violations of the rights of the public will not be tolerated.
“In the interest of national security, therefore, all respective Police Commanders have been instructed to deal with such situations firmly and decisively per 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 added.
It’s been a month since doctors laid down their weapons and took to the streets to demand the implementation of medical trainees and other agreements of the 2017 CBA.
Meanwhile, hospital employees are already in their second week of the strike and are making similar demands.
Health professionals, led by their unions, the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), have vowed not to back down until the government meets their demands.
Through the Ministry of Health and Director of Public Services Felix Koske, the government attempted to negotiate a return to work-scheme with medical professionals but was unsuccessful.
