Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai has declared that close to 2,000 police officers are mentally unfit to serve, adding to the growing concerns about rising cases of suicide and depression among law enforcers.
While addressing the Anglican Bishops and Senior Clergy in Westlands, Nairobi on Tuesday, April 19, the IG stated that the cases were discovered after a thorough medical examination conducted on all police officers across the country.
“We have subjected all the officers [to medical examination], and to our surprise, we got a big number [of mentally-disturbed police officers]. We isolated almost 2,000 police officers who are unfit to do their law enforcement work," he stated.
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He noted that the officers would undergo counseling sessions before they resume official duties.
"The Police Service has now started the process of managing some of them. To remove someone from work [because of medical grounds] is not easy. The government has its processes."
The IG also pointed out that the examinations unmasked a trend among some police officers using illness as a means of absconding duties.
"Our tool of work is the gun, and when one bullet is discharged, the implications are serious,” he noted.
Among the factors that Mutyambai attributed to the rising cases include corruption during recruitment as well as lack of social support system.
This comes days after Interior CS Fred Matiang'i addressed the growing concerns of mental health within the police service, noting that the government would pour in more resources to deal with the menacing issue.
He, however, the CS noted that Kenyans at large should not treat it as an isolated case but address the issue within the society.
Counselors, medics, and psychologists advise that you can always reach out for help when experiencing any mental health issues. Call Kenya Red Cross toll-free hotline, 1199 for support.
