This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On July 7, 2020, a national task force led by psychologist Frank Njenga handed its report to Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, recommending the establishment of a Mental Health and Happiness Commission.
The commission aims to help the government achieve people's life satisfaction, happiness, reduce misery, and promote wellbeing for all.
According to Dr. Njenga, the United Nations had recommended in 2011 that countries evaluate and measure the extent of happiness of their citizens.
Dr. Njenga cited the example of the kingdom of Bhutan, which has a sophisticated system of examining the mental health and happiness of its people.
He also noted that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report contains similar recommendations, and that the task force's proposal is a middle ground between the BBI and UN recommendations.
Dr. Njenga's team visited many counties and received submissions from various groups, highlighting the need to address the stigma associated with mental illness.
According to the team, people are afraid to seek help due to the shame and stigma associated with mental illness, and that low resources for treatment are a major contributor to this stigma.
A 2015 research by the London School of Economics found that eliminating mental health issues would increase happiness by 20 percent, while eliminating poverty would increase happiness by only five percent.
