By KPC Reporter
A mental health advocate is set to walk from Migori to Nairobi later this year to raise awareness about depression, anxiety and suicide in Kenya.
By the time Fred Gori and his two friends get to the city, they would have covered 360km.
In a statement, campaign organiser Fred Gori said the 21-day journey, dubbed “Walking the Mind,” will begin on August 17, 2026 in Migori town and conclude in Nairobi on September 7.
Gori said he will be accompanied by three other core walkers during the advocacy marathon, which aims to draw national attention to the growing mental health burden in the country.
“On August 17, 2026, accompanied by three other core walkers, I shall depart Migori town for a 360km high visibility advocacy marathon dubbed ‘Walking the Mind’,” he said.
“We expect to arrive in Nairobi 21 days later on September 7, 2026.”
According to Gori, the initiative seeks to highlight the gap in mental health services and the need for more community-based care in Kenya.
“Despite the rising prevalence of depression, anxiety and suicide in Kenya, mental health remains severely underfunded and hospital-centered rather than community-based,” he said.
“There is a critical shortage of professionals and a weak integration of mental health into primary healthcare, leaving millions without accessible support.”
He cited recent statistics indicating that between 10 and 20 percent of Kenyans—an estimated five to 10 million people—live with mental health conditions.
A 2025 baseline survey also shows that about one in four people seeking outpatient services in Kenya present with mental health symptoms.
The statement notes that depression and anxiety are the most common conditions, while nearly 40 percent of university students report symptoms associated with the two illnesses.
Kenya records an average of four suicide deaths daily, although experts believe the number could be higher due to underreporting and stigma.
Men account for about 80 percent of the reported suicide cases.
The campaign also aims to establish Community Mental Health First Response Corners across communities.
Funds raised will go toward training community health promoters, producing referral guides and linking patients to toll-free helplines, as well as creating quiet support spaces in existing public facilities.
“Unlike one-off events, this project focuses on capacity building,” Gori said, adding that the initiative is intended to leave behind sustainable support structures in communities.
Members of the public, organizations and corporate teams have been invited to support the campaign through donations or by joining sections of the walk, particularly the final five kilometres into Nairobi. “Organizations can register teams for portions of the walk, especially the final 5km into Nairobi as a show of corporate solidarity,” Gori said