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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30663, member: 2262"] The National Assembly wants better mental health support for cops across Kenya. Lawmakers on the Cohesion and Equal Opportunities Committee told police bosses they must hire more counselors right away. The team, led by Mandera West representative Adan Yusuf Haji, pushed for additional counseling centers throughout the country to help officers deal with job stress. They pointed out that many police officers take their lives because they lack proper mental health care during tough times. Peter Leley from the National Police Service Commission explained they had already placed 38 counselors and social workers at twelve locations nationwide. These centers operate in various regions, including Eastern, Coast, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, North Eastern, Western, and Nairobi. Despite these efforts, committee members criticized the current setup as inadequate. Luanda representative Dick Maungu complained about the travel burden for officers seeking help, noting the long distances between police stations and counseling facilities. The committee emphasized that regional centers cannot handle the growing number of officers who need psychological support. They described the situation as urgent, demanding immediate action to prevent more police deaths from suicide and other stress-related problems. Haji pressed the commission to send additional counselors into the field faster to address the crisis affecting police morale and wellbeing across different parts of Kenya. Leley responded by sharing plans about five regional offices already created to improve service delivery for officers. These offices currently exist in Mombasa, Garissa, Kakamega, Kisumu, and Nairobi. He assured the committee that expansion would continue, with five more regional support centers planned during the upcoming financial year. The commission aims to make psychological services more accessible to officers serving in remote areas who currently struggle to reach existing facilities. [/QUOTE]

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