Doctor sues for being kicked out of Facebook group

A doctor has sued administrators of a Facebook group for removing him from the platform without prior notice.

David Kahura Mundia termed the actions by the administrators of The Real KMPDU’ Facebook Group as discriminatory and gross violation of his fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Real KMPDU Facebook group consists of medical practitioners, pharmacists and dentists among who are members of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

Mundia says the Facebook Group has approximately 6,267 members.

In a demand letter served by Jairus Otieno Advocate, dated November 21, 2019, Mundia accused the administrators of the group of failing to give notice or provide an explanation for their actions.

Among the group administrators being sued include KMPDU Secretary General Ouma Oluga.

“On or about November 15, 2019, while my client was lawfully participating in the activities of the Group, you decided, unilaterally and without assigning any reason whatsoever, to restrict and censor my client’s activities in the Group, including restricting his access to the Group, censoring and restricting his posts and publications, and failing and/or refusing to publish or approve the publication of said posts and publications,” reads part of the demand letter.

The group administrators are also accused of denying Mundia the right to be heard by the administrators.

“Further your unilateral decisions have served to disesteem my client in the face of over 6,000 other members of the Group and to cast him as a person unworthy of membership and participation in the Group, and have thereby exposed my client to opprobrium, indignity, ridicule and disgrace,” Mundia added.

The doctor now demands a public apology by the group administrators and immediate return to the group within three days.

KMPDU Ouma Oluga is yet to respond to the matter.

Facebook group administrators tend to have more privileges than regular members. But they also have responsibilities to keep the virtual space clean and useful.

They have an upper hand in changing group settings, adding and/or removing members, approving and/or denying posts, deleting posts, approving stories among others.