The government on Monday, December 13, initiated action to combat mental health crises among police officers.
This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta, during the pass out parade of General Service Unit (GSU) officers, raised concerns about the incidences of officers taking their lives and those of others.
In line with this, the National Police Service (NPS) dispatched priests and counsellors to offer counselling services to members of the disciplined forces across the country.
Speaking at Baharini Police Station, Uasin Gishu County Deputy Commander, Zacheus Ngeno, confirmed that the county had received the chaplain dispatched from the NPS headquarters.
In addition, Vigilance House also deployed professional counsellors to offer counselling services to the officers. The preachers will work hand in hand with the counsellors, preaching and praying for officers to ensure mental health is looked after in the service.
Ngeno noted that the county planned to set up desks in all police stations in the county where officers will readily access the services.
Echoing Uhuru's words, the deputy county police boss, advised officers who might be experiencing challenges personally or in the line of duty not to shy off from seeking help.
Officers in the county would also be given bibles to read and seek divine intervention as part of stress management.
In the past week, three police officers have taken their own lives. On December 11, a police officer set himself ablaze in his house in Turbo under unclear circumstances.
A Mombasa-based police constable shot himself over accrued debts totalling Ksh81,000 which he failed to offset.
Detailed in a note he left behind was a breakdown of the debt and the people he owed money and instructions on how his colleagues should go about his burial.
On December 8, a police officer based at the Kabete Police Station, Benson Imbatu, killed 6 civilians including his estranged wife. His colleagues revealed that Imbatu had shown signs of being troubled mentally in the days leading to the incident.
