Anger and grief flowed onto the streets of Eldoret, Tuesday, when health personnel from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital staged a march through the streets of Eldoret to the central police station in response to the death of colleague Richard Rotich in Uasin Gishu.
Chanting and emotional slogans ringing in their minds, the medics poured into the station compound, partly disrupting the daily activities as police officers tried to contain the situation. Some of the medics complained of betrayal and insecurity as they felt that security agencies had not protected them as they were warned of the growing insecurity in the region.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, they condemned attacks on health providers that had escalated, leaving the health workforce living in fear for their safety.
“There has been an alarming increase in criminal behavior perpetrated by gang members and individuals, resulting in loss of life, serious injuries, and fear among our staff. This is affecting our operations as well as undermining the morale of our members,” a staffer of the institution reported to the police.
The medics wondered how criminals could so easily move around with illegal weapons while healthcare professionals like themselves continued to be vulnerable. The medics also wondered how, in some instances, police had not responded or had refused to offer security when staff had raised distress calls or complained of security threats.
“Our special concern is in this area. Our members wanted the police to accompany them home because of the danger, but they refused. This was an outright rejection of providing what we need and are rightfully due,” the official stated.
“The death of Rotich, who was the pharmacist at MTRH, has shocked the medical fraternity to the core,” reads the report. “In the midst of this, one of the women protest leaders could barely contain her emotions while describing the agony his family is going through.” His wife is still grieving, while his children are finding it difficult to comprehend the loss of their father.
She urged the police officers not to release the suspects to the public to enable the victims to be relieved of the trauma being caused by the suspects.
“We cannot sit back knowing that a criminal is roaming free while our fellow is dead. Richard hailed from a marginalized community. He ran away from cattle rustling in search of safety, only to be killed by a gun in Uasin Gishu,” she said.
The medics asked for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators who killed Rotich. The medics also requested that the police increase surveillance, operations, and presence, particularly in the neighborhoods where medics reside. The end of the protest was marked by a clear signal from the medical tc: the safety of health personnel is not optional. Without it, health services, which have the only goal of saving lives, are under serious threat in that region.
