Counsellors Concerned By Rising Mental Health Cases At Workplaces
img_tag = ("Your colleague who used to crack jokes during tea break now sits alone, staring at their phone, while the office WhatsApp group that once buzzed with memes has gone silent – and mental health counsellors across Kenya are sounding the alarm that this scene is playing out in workplaces from Mombasa to Kisumu.
Professional counsellors report a sharp increase in mental health cases among Kenyan workers across all sectors, from banking halls in Westlands to construction sites in Eldoret. The Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors reveals that workplace-related stress, anxiety, and depression cases have surged by over 40% in the past year alone, with employees struggling to cope with mounting pressures that range from job insecurity to unmanageable workloads.
The ripple effects hit where it hurts most – productivity. Factory workers in Thika are calling in sick more often, teachers in Nakuru are burning out faster, and even matatu drivers are reporting stress-related health issues that affect their daily earnings. What makes it worse is that most Kenyan workplaces still treat mental health like that relative nobody talks about during family gatherings.
The cost of ignoring this crisis shows up in ways every employer feels. Companies are losing money through increased sick days, high staff turnover, and reduced output, while employees struggle to send money home through M-Pesa because they cannot perform at their best. Some workers are spending their lunch money on anti-anxiety medication instead of that usual chapo and beans.
Most workplaces still lack proper counselling programmes, leaving employees to suffer in silence or seek help they cannot afford. While big corporations in Nairobi might have employee assistance programmes, the majority of Kenyan workers – from small businesses in Kisii to county government offices in Garissa – have nowhere to turn when the pressure becomes too much.
Counsellors are now pushing for mandatory workplace mental health support, arguing that investing in employee wellbeing is not just the right thing to do – it makes business sense. They want every workplace to have trained counsellors or partnerships with mental health professionals, just like companies are required to have first aid kits.
The question every employer should ask themselves is simple: when your employees are mentally drowning, can your business really stay afloat?