Nairobi, Kenya, Dec 8- A section of police officers from Kisii County are set to benefit from the Emotional Intelligence training programme in the wake rising cases of mental illness among the law enforcement officers in the country.
The four-day program which commenced Wednesday aims to enable security officers deal with emotions, stress and job-related challenges, according to a statement released by the National Police Service.
“In a bid to impart and equip the officers with the Knowledge on self-control, easier adjustment to work related challenges, team work and self-awareness’s, Kisii County Commander’s office has sponsored 17 officers to be trained on Emotional Intelligence course by the Kenya Institute of Business and Counselling (KIBCo),” the police statement said.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviour, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday urged police officers to seek alternative solutions to challenges facing them instead of resorting to the gun.
Kenyatta, who was speaking when he commissioned new General Service Unit (GSU) recruits said that expressing oneself is one way of dealing with mental stress especially in the police force.
“There are many challenges in this world and mental health is also a real problem, but it is a problem that can be addressed if you reach out. There is no need of doing the things that we keep on witnessing,” he said, “The gun is meant to protect lives.”
He spoke a day after a police officer based in Kabete, Nairobi killed his wife following a domestic quarrel before he went on a shooting spree on Waiyaki Way that left 5 people dead.
The officer then committed suicide.
The incident that sparked chaos for the better part of Tuesday morning brought to the fore the grim picture of the state of mental health among the country’s law enforcement officers.
“I want to assure you that as a government we want to work towards addressing these mental health issues, however, I wish to appeal to you in particular, that in the event you are going through any challenges whether at home or at work, look for someone to talk to,” Kenyatta added.
In recent years, the country has also witnessed a rise in suicide cases among security officers serving in various parts of the country on what has been widely blamed on mental illness.
