Empowering Mental Health Champions in the Public Service

The Directorate of Counselling and Wellness Services, led by Ag. Secretary Mr. Willis Ombima, conducted a capacity-building workshop for Public Service Mental Health Champions at the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Naivasha. The training was held in two phases from 26th May to 6th June 2025, with each phase spanning five days.

The objective of the workshop was to enhance access to mental health services within the public service by equipping a pool of Mental Health Champions with skills in early identification, referral, and support for colleagues facing mental health challenges.

Participants received comprehensive training on topics such as building mental health resilience, managing workplace stress, recognizing signs of mental health conditions, and offering basic psychological support and referral services.

A total of 151 Public Service Mental Health Champions were successfully trained. The participants were drawn from various Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and County Governments. Notably, the workshop included members of the disciplined services, the Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Prisons Service, and the Administration Police, marking a significant step toward inclusive and cross-sectoral mental health support.

Beyond the training, participants took part in impactful community empowerment initiatives. These included a tree-planting exercise within KALRO and the donation of foodstuffs to Shalom Gates Children’s Home in Naivasha. In addition, Directorate counsellors offered on-site sensitization and counselling sessions to KALRO staff, reinforcing mental health awareness at the institutional level.

Following insights gathered during the sessions, the Directorate plans to expand its mental health programme to specifically target middle and senior management within public service institutions. This will be aimed at fostering leadership buy-in and sustaining mental health interventions across the public sector.