Anti-Riot Police Shoot KMPDU Boss Davji Atellah During Nairobi Protests

Anti-riot police are reported to have shot Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah as he was leading medical interns in protests within Nairobi.

KMPDU confirmed in a statement on Thursday, February 29 though did not divulge further details including what provoked the police to use excessive force against him.

The union further vowed to press on with protests by its members against the government's indifference to the plight of doctors in the country.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the shooting of our SG Davji Attelah by the police this afternoon when he was leading the Medical interns in a peaceful march.

KMPDU SG Davji Atellah during protests in Nairobi on Thursday, February 29, 2024. /KMPDU

"The doctors of Kenya have endured enough! This is the straw that breaks the camel's back," read the statement.

Images that Viral Tea has seen but cannot share due to their graphical nature showed Atellah drenched in blood while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi hospital after he incurred injuries from the shooting.

By the time of publishing this article, it was still unclear where the Secretary-General had been shot and the severity of the injury. However, reports indicated that he was allegedly shot by a tear gas canister.

Meanwhile, the protest ended as police abruptly dispersed the interns. The KMPDU Western Kenya branch has since called for a crisis meeting to deliberate on the same. 

The KMPDU boss had, in a letter to the Nairobi Regional Police Commander, announced a peaceful protest in Nairobi on Thursday over the delayed posting of medical interns and the payment of fees for postgraduate students.

The medics marched from the Kenya Medical Association Centre in the Upper Hill area to the Ministry of Health offices and were thereafter to proceed to the Treasury headquarters in the city centre.

Dr. Atellah had last week threatened a nationwide strike if over 1,000 medical interns were not hired, further criticising the Ministry of Health for refusing to absorb the medics thereby denying Kenyans medical services.

“We write to inform you of our intention to conduct a peaceful procession concerning the delayed posting of medical interns and the payment of fees for postgraduate students.

"The procession is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 29th February 2024, commencing at 9:30 am,” Atellah commented.

He also vowed to collect the interns' placement letters on the stated date, if the Ministry failed to send them out.

The interns on their part staged protests themselves outside the Ministry of Health offices as their pleas continued to be ignored.

Medical interns protest outside Afya House over failure by the Ministry of Health to pay them their dues dating back to January. /THE STAR