•Jackson Kabuu, a clinician abducted on February 18.
•The whereabouts of Kabuu who was a clinical officer at Fino Health Centre in Marsabit remains unknown.
Image: HANDOUT
Clinicians have written to the Senate Justice and Legal Affairs committee regarding the security status of healthcare workers, especially those in the northern region counties.
They include healthcare workers stationed in Mandera, Garissa, Lamu and Isiolo.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers in a petition addressed to the Nyamira Senator Okong’o Mogeni now wants the Mandera County Government to formally write to the family of Jackson Kabuu, a clinician abducted on February 18.
The whereabouts of Kabuu, who was a clinical officer at Fino Health Centre in Marsabit, remains unknown.
According to the union SG George Gibore, the family is now facing untold psychological torture since the abduction of their kin.
“Unfortunately, up-to-date the employer, the county government of Mandera and government security agencies have never reached out to them regarding the progress of the investigations,” the letter reads in part.
According to the union, the abduction of Kabuu comes barely three years after Dennis Biese was killed in 2019 while discharging his duty in Mandera County.
The union, in the letter, notes that despite raising the concerns on the welfare and safety of healthcare workers on several occasions, no changes had been made to address the matter.
They now want the senate to intervene within 90 days and ensure the security apparatus in the country as well as the county government of Mandera avail information on the investigations relating to the abducted clinician and the steps taken to cushion aggrieved officers.
They also want existing security measures updated to prioritise resources to adopt technology that would aid in tracking the perpetrators.
“We have on several instances witnessed the attacks on our members working in Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo and Lamu counties. Some have been killed while discharging their duties,” Gibore said.
According to police reports, the militants struck at around 7: 30pm on that fateful day and went straight to the houses where the three medical officers lived.
They then ordered them to board their vehicle before speeding off. They are said to have crossed the border into Somalia.
Initially, they had kidnapped three officers, two locals and a non-local but then dropped the two locals before proceeding with Jackson, the non-local.
David, Jackson’s younger brother, says despite the prayers and messages of comfort from family friends, the suspense on the safety and whereabouts of their brother keeps triggering their minds.