• DIG Mbugua said officers go through a lot in the line of duty with minimal support.
• The poor work environment, he noted, has led to high stress levels among officers.
Image: FILE
Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua has called for a holistic approach in addressing officers' welfare at a time the country is witnessing a surge in cases of suicide and murders within the service.
Speaking on Thursday, when he appeared before the National Assembly's Security Committee chaired by Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, Mbugua said officers go through a lot in the line of duty with minimal support.
The poor work environment, he noted, has led to high stress levels among officers.
He said most police stations are not only understaffed, but have no funds to facilitate movement, forcing commanders to use their own money.
"We are addressing the symptoms and not the root cause of why these officers are going through depression. In the last 20 to 25 years, we never needed counsellors to counsel these officers," Mbugua said.
Long working hours and lack of retraining are some of the issues he noted have led to depression within the service.
"We have 400 police stations in this country without police vehicles. How do they go to the crime scenes?"
The DIG told MPs that unless the working environment is improved, police officers will continue to suffer from depression and stress.
The meeting was also attended by National Police Service Commission Eliud Kinuthia and Inspector General Hillary Mutyambai among other NPSC commissioners.
There is a growing concern among the public that rogue police officers pose a danger to citizens given that they are armed.
Last month, fugitive cop Caroline Kangogo - a suspect in the killing of two people, including police Constable John Ogweno – was found dead at her parents' home, after days of evading law enforcers.
In April, a bodyguard attached to Interior CS Fred Matiang'i’s office died in a shooting alongside his wife, who was a traffic officer.
General Service Unit officer, Hudson Wakise, shot and killed his wife, Pauline Wakasa, before turning the gun on himself. Officers who visited the scene found the bodies in the sitting room.
Edited by CM