Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary-General Dr Davji Atellah has revealed that the union moved to court over utterances by Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome.

The police boss had termed the ongoing nationwide medics strike as a nuisance to the general public, including patients in hospitals. He claimed that the doctors had resorted to demonstrating without informing the police and also causing traffic snarl-ups across the country.

While addressing the press in Nairobi on Monday, April 15, 2024, Atellah dismissed Koome's comments as intimidation meant to keep medics from fighting for their rights.

The doctors have been on strike since March 14, protesting the failure by government to implement the 2017/2022 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) that settled on the placement of interns, promotion and pay rise for the medics.

“We’ve already proceeded to court against the defamatory action and statement issued yesterday. We will serve the IG regarding that,” Dr Atellah said.

IG Koome had claimed that the medics in their demonstrations had turned rowdy by blowing vuvuzelas, lying on the ground and obstructing traffic and pedestrian flow across major towns in the country.

He also stated that other members of the public with ill intent might join the strike and cause damage to property, among other vices.

“The medics have become a public nuisance, blowing whistles and vuvuzelas during the demonstrations thus causing discomfort to patients in hospitals and general public,” Koome stated.

He urged the striking medics to exercise caution as they demonstrate, further directing police officers not to spare any of them caught subverting the law.

“In the interest of national security therefore, all respective Police Commanders have been instructed 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 added.