Askari Jibambe: A woman’s bold initiative to save police officers from mental health struggles

Stories of police officers struggling with mental health often surface in the news mainly when tragedy strikes.

A headline about suicide. A report about alcohol abuse. An incident of excessive force. These are the moments that reach the public eye. But many other battles go unseen fought quietly behind uniforms and closed doors.

At the same time, the relationship between police officers and citizens remains strained, and allegations of aggression and mistrust frequently dominate public discourse.

For many Kenyans, the image of a police officer is shaped more by fear than familiarity. However, what often goes unspoken is the emotional toll the job takes on the men and women in uniform.

It is within this space that Martha Wanjiku Macharia steps in. The Director of MIMA Entertainment and founder of the Askari Jibambe initiative, a program under MIMA, says her journey into mental health advocacy is deeply personal.

“It started as a way to cope with depression. As a police spouse, I was personally affected and saw firsthand how deeply it impacts families, which is when the idea took shape to support the men and women in uniform.”

Since launching her initiative in 2021, she says she has witnessed significant change among officers who sought help.

“I have seen many policewomen and men begin their recovery journey and regain stability. Some have come out of very dark situations and are now doing well,” she says. “Some who were addicted to alcohol have stopped completely.”

Through organized mental health walks, peer support talks, and team-building sessions, Wanjiku creates safe spaces where officers can open up, share experiences, and access professional guidance. She says these engagements help break the culture of silence that often surrounds mental health within the service.

She maintains that public perception of police officers often overlooks their humanity.

“When you start interacting with them, you find out they are human beings just like you and me. They have marriages, relationships, and pressures from work that stress them,” she says.

She adds that the nature of police work repeatedly places officers at the center of some of society’s most distressing moments — experiences that can leave lasting psychological effects if left unaddressed.

“When someone dies by suicide, the first person called to collect the body is the police. When accidents happen, the first people on the scene are the police. They carry those traumas,” she says.

At the same time, Wanjiku acknowledges that public frustration over police aggression cannot be ignored. She says while trauma and pressure may shape behaviour, they should never be used to excuse misconduct. Instead, she argues, they highlight the urgent need for structured mental health support within the service.

“I am not advocating for the police to be aggressive toward people,” she says. “They are trained to handle situations in a certain way. But sometimes pressure and other factors push them. As a police officer, you must try to control your anger.”

Wanjiku says that although she is a one-woman team, she has had the pleasure of working with numerous partners who share her vision, helping extend mental health support to officers nationwide.