A Silent Epidemic: Mental Health Conditions Including Depression
The Mt Kenya Times 
Mary Karau Ngethe
By Mary Ngethe
Worth Noting:
- The current CS for Health Dr. Susan Nakhumicha admitted that ,“Mental Health has been neglected and it is because of the stigma around it. In this country if a patient is referred to Mathare Hospital, many people will be running away from them. Saying ‘mwenda wazimu’We are going to rebrand the hospital to give it a better name”(10th October, 2022)
- The two CSs agree with the WHO report on the dire need to focus on Mental Wellness
- Mental health is indeed, an epidemic, in Kenya. May be worse of than Covid 19! In my opinion, simply because it is silent.
Depression is the most common illness worldwide. Kenya was ranked 4th in Africa with 1.9 million people who have the condition, according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2014 report.
Honestly, number four out of 54 countries in Africa! Could this be for real?
But then, it is real because this is information from WHO.
If we say it is not real, then we are in denial.
You and I will either agree it is true or agree we are in denial.
This is further confirmed to be true by a Cabinet Secretary in the previous government.
The CS was quite familiar with the term EPIDEMIC having handled the COVID 19 epidemic.
He said on 19th July 2021, “I term mental health a Silent Epidemic”when speaking at Chiromo Mental Hospital.
Also, during the launch of the Kenya Mental Health Action Plan (2021-2025), the same CS said that Mental Health remains an integral pillar in the countrys health system and socio-economic development.
The current CS for Health Dr. Susan Nakhumicha admitted that ,“Mental Health has been neglected and it is because of the stigma around it. In this country if a patient is referred to Mathare Hospital, many people will be running away from them. Saying ‘mwenda wazimu’We are going to rebrand the hospital to give it a better name”(10th October, 2022)
The two CSs agree with the WHO report on the dire need to focus on Mental Wellness
Mental health is indeed, an epidemic, in Kenya. May be worse of than Covid 19! In my opinion, simply because it is silent.
Research has revealed that Mental Health challenges hits Nairobi and Central Kenya worst (KDHS 2022). Due to close proximity to the city, the highest per cent of Nairobi people could be from the Mountain. This is purely guess work. This would imply that the mountain community has greatly contributed to Kenya being number 4 out of 54.
This fact, if proved scientifically through research, would mean that the National government, the 10 County Governments of CEREB, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), private sector and Development Partners responding to healthcare in the Central region would all have to stop and ponder on what next for mental wellness of the mountain community, and the nation at large.
Mental Health conditions have been cited as either causing, or being caused by other health diseases like Non Communicable Diseases, HIV &AIDS, Tuberculosis, (TB), and other ailments.
The matter was made worse by COVID 19 epidemic that left many people depressed with harsh socio-economic interruptions that will take long to reverse.
A case in point is Muranga County Women SACCO leaders (Chairlady, Secretary and Teasurer who lead a women organization (SACCO) that has invested in a Hostel just next to Muranga University. The building was completed in September 2019, and students took up accommodation with delight. BANG! Corona came in 2020 and schools were closed for one year. There was no revenue collection from that hostel for more than one year, yet the loan they had taken to complete the building needed to be repaid.
The loan accumulated to levels the women could not cope with. The bank sent auctioneers and the women became even more disturbed. Not by their won family matters but community matters. Some women even hypothesize that the SACCO founder member and Chairperson who died just around the COVID time, Madam ROSE WATHIGO, could have died as a result of stress by the project. She slept a normal person, and she died in her sleep. May she Rest In Peace. She indeed did a noble thing to start the SACCO. Her successors, the current women officials spent sleepless nights wondering how to salvage the building owned by the SACCO that has 45,000 women members from the 35 wards of Muranga County. This case is just one of the many depressive challenges the communities in Kenya are handling leading to depression. Yet the resources used to reverse the effects of Covid 19 are enormous. Some need to be focused on handling mental illnesses resulting from another disease. Covid caused depression to countless
The situation of the Mountain is made worse by the very high rate of alcohol and drug abuse especially by the youth and men. Homes have become hell due to the effects of these drugs and especially illicit alcohol While we thank the GoK for the their response to the alcohol abuse, perhaps there is need for a scientific research to find out causes and dire negative effects it has, and then call for multisectoral workshops to discuss how best to deal with the abuse
It is actually high time alcohol and drug abuse was declared a National Disaster by GoK just like HIV & AIDS was declared, and this will attract development partners to direct funds to the respond to the disaster to prevent the already existing pandemic.
I, therefore finish by urging our Deputy President, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, to offer technical and financial support for a one week workshop of experts to just focus on the best way to support Provincial Administration and Police to curb alcohol and drug abuse in the mountain, considering that the two are either causes of depression for abusers, or they cause depression among those affected by the abusers
The Author is Mary Ngethe is a Mental Health Advocate
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