Kiambu Town MP Machua Waithaka has raised the alarm over rising cases of suicide among young people in his constituency, citing growing despair and mental health challenges that he says require urgent intervention.
The legislator has urged young people struggling with depression, hopelessness and other personal difficulties to seek help, assuring them that his office is open to those in need of counselling and support.
Waithaka said the community had witnessed distressing cases of young people taking their own lives, a trend he attributed to challenges that many youths were struggling to overcome.
He appealed to those experiencing emotional distress not to suffer in silence, offering to personally engage them and help identify solutions to their problems.
“Any young person who is struggling or depressed should come and see me at home. My office is right there. Let them come so we can sit together, talk and see how we can help,” he said.
The MP spoke during an engagement with young people in Kiambu, where he announced the introduction of free counselling services aimed at addressing mental health challenges and providing support to vulnerable members of the community.
The initiative will see a trained counselling psychologist, Esther Wambui, offer professional assistance to individuals who may otherwise be unable to afford private counselling sessions.
Wambui said the programme was designed to respond to the growing need for accessible mental health services, particularly among young people dealing with depression, emotional distress and other personal challenges.
She noted that the cost of professional counselling often prevented people from seeking help, leaving many to struggle with their problems without adequate support.
“Paying for a counsellor and a counselling session is very expensive. That is why the MP has brought a counsellor into this house,” she said.
Wambui encouraged young people experiencing emotional difficulties to take advantage of the programme, stressing that seeking professional help was an important step towards recovery.
The initiative will also target individuals struggling with alcohol addiction and other harmful habits, with Waithaka announcing plans to introduce a rehabilitation and recovery support programme.
He said the intervention would help those battling alcohol dependency regain control of their lives and reintegrate into the community.
“Every habit can be corrected. If a habit started, it can be ended,” he said, urging young people struggling with addiction not to give up on themselves.
The MP emphasised that mental health challenges and addiction should not be reasons for individuals to lose hope, calling on affected youths to seek assistance before their situations deteriorate.
He expressed particular concern over cases of young people resorting to suicide, warning that the community must work together to prevent further loss of life.
“I do not want to hear again that someone threw themselves into a river. Please, come to the office, sit with Esther and talk with me,” he said.
Beyond mental health support, Waithaka urged young people to pursue stable relationships and establish families, saying he wanted to see more weddings among youths in the constituency.
He also reiterated his commitment to supporting education, saying he had been assisting families struggling to meet school fees for their children in primary and secondary schools.
The MP said he would continue supporting needy learners, including clearing outstanding school fees demanded by schools, to ensure children remained in education.
Waithaka said his broader development agenda was anchored on improving the welfare of residents, particularly young people, whom he described as central to the future of the constituency.
He pledged to continue supporting initiatives aimed at improving their social and economic well being, urging them to remain hopeful and seek assistance whenever they encountered difficulties.
The free counselling programme is expected to provide an avenue for young people and other residents to access professional support while encouraging a community based approach to mental health and addiction recovery.
