The Kenyan Union of Clinical Officers has denounced the harassment of health workers by police officers enforcing the dusk-to-dawn government curfew.
In a statement on Thursday, the union's CEO George Gibore said it had gotten reports a clinical officer from Kericho was shot by police officers.
The clinical officer -Hilary Kirui, an employee of Tenwek Hospital - was allegedly shot by a police officer while walking home from the Cheborge shopping centre in Litein, Kericho county where he works in one of the hospital outlets.
"It's reported that he was about 200 meters away from home. He shouted for help and he was picked up and rushed to Litein hospital by family members and later transferred to Tenwek hospital where he was admitted and underwent emergency surgery. He is currently in stable condition recuperating in the same hospital," Gibore said.
The union now wants the culprit to be identified and charged.
"It is unjustifiable and unfortunate that this case is coming up again despite raising the issue of security for health workers during curfew hours with the Ministry of Health and the Inspector General of Police," he said.
"The government is yet to put substantive measures in place to assure health workers of their safety and provide secure transport from and to duty stations but instead harassing and shooting them in disregard of possessing the rightful documents."
"We also note that this is just but a case among many that have brought to the fore police brutality that has claimed many lives since the introduction of dusk-to-dawn curfew".
The union demands the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and Kenya Police Service to make public investigations and disciplinary processes towards ensuring justice to the victims.
