50 medics held for 3 hours at Thika roadblock

More than 50 health workers from Murang’a and Kiambu were held for over three hours at a police roadblock in Thika as they were reporting to work on Tuesday morning.

The medics included clinical officers, nurses, and support staff. They were heading to their places of work when they were flagged down by GSU officers manning the Blue Post roadblock.

The medics told journalists that police officers refused to let them through even after displaying their job cards.

“We were supposed to report to work at 8am, but we were delayed at the roadblock from 6.30am to a few minutes before 9.30am, when they finally allowed us to pass,” a health worker who did not want to be named said.

A good number of the medics reside in Kabati and Kenol areas in Murang’a county and work in health facilities in Kiambu. Others reside along the Thika Superhighway and work in Murang’a.

Central Region Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union chairman James Maina accused the police of creating an unnecessary mess. He said the government’s directives on who are essential service providers is clear.

“Our officers should understand that the fight against the pandemic has a multi-agency approach. While they are fighting it by curbing its spread, medics are tussling to suppress it,” Maina said.

"These confrontations between the police and medical workers should come to an end. Every medical worker has identification documents."

The morning standoff between the medics and the police caused a huge traffic snarl-up, confrontation and confusion, forcing the officers manning the roadblock to use teargas to disperse the commuters.

People ferrying foodstuffs were caught up in the melee.

“The confrontation that has occurred here is uncalled-for. We have produced documents but they could hear none of it," said Moses Thuku, a truck driver who was ferrying maize flour to Nyeri.

He urged the officers to exercise restraint while enforcing the government directives. 

GSU deputy commandant Bashane Oma intervened and allowed the travellers to pass the roadblock.

He urged the medics to make a list of health workers and their areas of work for easy identification.

“To avoid repetition of this issue, make a list of all the health workers operating from the affected areas and ensure they have their job cards,” he said.

Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, who spoke at a local radio station, maintained that roadblocks are meant to repulse personal vehicles without obligatory movement documents.

Edited by A.N