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‘Depressed’ police officer goes missing at Maralal Referral Hospital


A police officer who is reported to be depressed is said to have gone missing at the Maralal Referral Hospital in Samburu County.

Ms Hellen Chepkoskei had been taken to the medical facility by a colleague who noticed she was disturbed and appeared depressed.

Police in the area have mounted a search and requested members of the public to assist in finding her.

“We are still looking for my sister and we hope that we shall find her safe and sound. That is my only prayer,” Ms Ruth Cherono, sister to the missing officer said.

The increasing number of cases of police officers who are mentally challenged has in the past worried their bosses.

In the past, the National Police Service (NPS) has said that a third of police officers in the country are heavy drinkers.

It also said that a large number of officers across all ranks are also servicing loans which leave them with less than a third of their monthly salary, forcing them to resort to corrupt practices to make ends meet.

In a recent survey by the National Police Service, at least 12,000 police officers are facing mental health challenges out of work-related issues.

This means that between 12 and 13 percent of police officers have mental issues.

There are 110,000 police officers in the country. NPSC chief executive Joseph Onyango said the figures are a reflection of the global trend.

“The mental cases out of the recent assessment is almost trending towards the figure of 12 to 13 percent of the total population of the officers. It’s trending toward the global figures,” Onyango said.

He said they are focusing on dealing with the menace which is taking a toll on the officers’ performance and is on an increase.

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