Police officers on the brink: Patrolling edge of distress

Before the body of constable Paul Wagathari was found hanging from a window grill at Sosiot police station in Belgut, Kericho county, he had been experiencing anxiety attacks.

His colleagues thought he was playing a game. They did not know he was battling depression and needed immediate care.

He was found dead on March 16 morning, minutes after he had hanged himself using a shoelace.

Wagathari left his house past midnight and walked to the station’s radio room where he met his two colleagues and told them some people were chasing him.

They stayed with him for five hours until 7 am, when they stepped out to hoist the flag.

On coming back, they found his body hanging from the window grill.

Wagathari’s case is among many being reported in the service in a worrying trend.

Officials say the rate of depression in the service is worrying and it needs special attention.

At least three suicide cases involving police officers are recorded every month, officials say.

They attribute the trend to depression due to work-related issues.

Officials said they have buried many colleagues who died due to depression.

This is also happening in other services, including the Prisons department, officials said.

Former Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai had in 2022 said 2,000 police officers were mentally unfit to serve.

Insiders say nothing much is being done to address the problem.

Mutyambai said the findings were established after medical examinations were conducted on police officers.

“We have subjected all the officers to medical examination, and to our surprise, we got a big number. We isolated almost 2,000 police officers who are unfit to do their law enforcement work,” he said.

Mutyambai said it was important to have stable officers in the service, pointing out the high risk posed, especially when the officers are carrying guns.

“The police service has 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,” he said.

“Our tool of work is the gun and when one bullet is discharged, the implications are serious.”

Mutyambai’s remarks came against the backdrop of increased suicide and depression cases among law enforcers.

The triggers identified range from financial issues, tough work, marital problems, transfer, working far from friends and exposure to stress.

A task force was established to combat the rising mental health cases.

The task force opened up channels of communication among the officers, as one way to detect and manage stress.

Police commanders were also directed to be keen to detect triggers that may lead to depression, stress or mental illness and act immediately.

The programme seeks to empower police officers at all levels to enhance their sensitivity to issues of stress and trauma they routinely encounter in their professional and personal lives.

Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja said depression affects all people regardless of age or social status, but police officers report higher levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder than the general population.

He said the nature of police work as shown by research globally, is also demanding and stressful.

While all people are vulnerable to some level of mental illness, the vulnerability of police officers to mental illness is escalated by unique factors, Kanja said.

He said police officers are constantly handling traumatic and disturbing scenes of crime and accidents that often leave them with long-term mental and psychological trauma.

“Consequently, police officers worldwide tend to commit suicide more than the general public,” Kanja said.

He said they are now seeing an increasing trend among the youth and children engaging in substance use and drug abuse, and police officers have not been spared despite being law enforcers.

Unfortunately, Kanja said, most law enforcement officers shy away from seeking mental health assistance, which delays possible interventions in their situations.

Kanja said due to these realities and the prevalent challenges, mental health remains a pertinent issue in the country, and of particular concern to the National Police Service.

To deal with mental illness, the National Police Service has been undertaking deliberate measures by adopting a multi-pronged approach, he said.

Kanja said stigmatisation that comes with mental illness is still a hurdle that Kenyans should strive to overcome.

“This calls for continuously creating awareness about mental health and mental illness among the members of public and most importantly, police officers,” he told a gathering in Nairobi.

Kanja said misconceptions, stereotypes and negative perceptions surrounding mental health should be addressed to create an environment where individuals feel comfortable to seek help and support without fear of discrimination.

He said they have established the Directorate of Chaplaincy, Counselling and Psychosocial Support to help police officers.

Through partnership with medical institutions and provision of medical cover, police officers have access to psychosocial support.

Officials say police are generally on the receiving end of all community problems.

They are expected to maintain law and order in very difficult situations, besides putting their lives at risk.

Over the years, a spike in deaths in the service has been linked to trauma. They include deaths by gun.