Counselling service for officers rolled out as police murders and suicides soar – Nairobi News

On the afternoon of April 26, Kenyan Athlete, Asbel Kiprop, took to social media and asked the National Police Service to dismiss him or else he would use “their machinery to earn himself justice.”

Kiprop made the startling threat after he was banned for four years by the by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Disciplinary Tribunal for doping.

What Kiprop, 29, meant was that if the service failed to disarm him then he would use the firearm issued to him to earn himself justice.

He would later turn himself to the police at Kapseret police station.

COUNSELING

The incident caught the attention of Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai who assured Mr Kiprop of support with a promise that the service would take him for counselling.

Kiprop’s story’s brought to the fore the risks involved when firearms are in the hands of emotional troubled police officers.

And on Monday, there was so good news for Kiprop and other similarly distressed uniformed officers as Mutyambai announced that the National Police Service will introduce a counselling programme to help manage stress among officers.

PLIGHT OF OFFICERS

Mutyambai said that the services has established Service Counselling and Rehabilitation Centre to address the plight of officers.

“The programme will first be rolled out in Nairobi before being spread to the rest of the country,” Mutyambai said.

The move has perhaps been informed by the soaring incidents of murder and suicide by police officers.