Kenya Red Cross Society Deputy Secretary General Joe Mbalu speaking in Nairobi on World Suicide Prevention Day at Boma Hotel, September 10, 2026. /RED CROSSThe Kenya Red Cross Society has recorded 634 suicide-related crisis calls through its mental health support hotline since the beginning of the year, highlighting the scale of distress among Kenyans seeking help.
The society's 1199 hotline received 7,394 calls seeking mental health support during the period, with 634 classified as suicide-related crisis calls.
Joe Mbalu, Kenya Red Cross Society Deputy Secretary General, Programmes, said all the suicide-related calls were responded to and averted.
"This year alone, our hotline 1199 received 7,394 calls for mental health support, 634 of them suicide-related crisis calls, all responded to and averted," Mbalu said on Thursday.
He was speaking in Nairobi as Kenya joined the global community in marking World Suicide Prevention Day, which this year was observed under the theme "Changing the Narrative on Suicide".
The national observance also featured a public awareness walk that brought together hundreds of Kenyans who marched through the streets of Nairobi to raise awareness and promote support and hope for people experiencing mental health challenges.
The walk began at Green Park Terminus and brought together participants from the Ministry of Health, Nairobi City County and partner organisations.
Participants carried banners and placards bearing messages encouraging people experiencing hopelessness or suicidal thoughts to open up and seek help.
"Suicide is Not an Option: Choose Hope, Choose Life," read some of the banners.
The day's activities also marked the launch of the Handbook on Suicide Prevention for Religious Leaders, developed by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Interreligious Council of Kenya.
Handbook on Suicide PreventionThe handbook is intended to support religious leaders in identifying and responding to people at risk of suicide, recognising the role they play in communities where people often turn to faith leaders for guidance and support.
Dr Mercy Karanja, Head of the Division of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, said preventing suicide required a coordinated response beyond the health sector.
"Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility that cannot be achieved by the health sector alone," she said.
Keynote speaker Prof Frank Njenga, chairman of Chiromo Hospital Group, underscored the connection between mental and physical wellbeing.
"There is no health without mental health," Njenga said.
Kenya Red Cross launched a suicide prevention handbook as Kenya marked World Suicide Prevention Day.The focus on early intervention and access to support comes against the backdrop of a significant global suicide burden.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 720,000 people die by suicide every year globally, accounting for about one in every 100 deaths worldwide.
For every suicide, many more people attempt to take their own lives, highlighting the need for timely intervention and access to mental health support.
WHO says suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 29, while about 73 per cent of all suicides globally occur in low- and middle-income countries.
The figures and messages shared during the Nairobi observance emphasised the importance of changing perceptions around suicide and encouraging people experiencing mental health difficulties to seek help rather than suffer in silence.
