The Wellness Initiative is built on the conviction that Kenya needs a sanctuary for civic catalysts — individuals who dedicate their lives to advancing the public good, often at great personal cost. Many have endured threats, imprisonment, exile, and reputational attacks that strain their physical, mental, and emotional health.
This initiative provides resources, safe spaces, and opportunities for rest, reflection, and renewal. It seeks to protect, heal, and restore those who continue to champion justice and democracy, ensuring that their bodies, minds, and spirits remain whole as they sustain movements for change.
Places – The Sanctuary
Spaces
The programme links civic actors to wellness spaces across Kenya and the region, from retreats and counselling centres to creative residencies and reflection events. It maps and connects partners in health, legal aid, and psychosocial support to provide holistic care. Through these networks, civic catalysts gain access to resources, training, and debriefing sessions that promote rest, reflection, healing, learning, and investment in their well-being.
Processes
Wellness Resources
General
Empathy
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The yoga channel where you can find yoga for anxiety management, stress management, and help with PTSD.
Stress Responses
- The Holistic Psychologist – How Our Nervous System Affects Us
- Kati Morton – Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn: Understanding Your Stress Responses
- University on Michigan Health – Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation
- 1st Contact – Butterfly Hug to help with ongoing traumatic stress
Thinking/Mindset
- Mind Tools – Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking, and Positive Thinking
- Mind Tools – Reducing Stress by Changing Your Thinking
- Psychology Today – Cognitive Restructuring Method
- The World of Work – Positive Language
Public Mental Health Services
Level 6 Facilities
Inpatient mental health services:
National level:
- Mathari Hospital (700-bed capacity) provides specialized mental health care services as well as training, teaching, and research in Psychiatry and Mental health.
- Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has a mental health unit (70-bed capacity) offering specialized mental healthcare services and teaching purposes
Outpatient mental health services:
- Kenyatta National Hospital offers outpatient services for adult and child psychiatry.
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Level 4 and 5 Facilities
Inpatients County hospitals offering specialized mental healthcare services in 20-25 bed capacity psychiatric units in general hospitals are:
- Nyeri County Referral Hospital – Nyeri County
- Nakuru General Hospital –Nakuru County
- Kisumu Hospital – Kisumu County
- Kakamega General Hospital – Kakamega County
- Embu Level 5 Hospital – Embu County
- Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital – Mombasa County
- Machakos Level 5 Hospital – Machakos County
- Gilgil Hospital – Nakuru county
- Murang’a Level 5 Hospital – Muranga County
- Meru Teaching & Referral Hospital – Meru County
- Isiolo County Referral Hospital – Isiolo County
- Siaya Hospital – Siaya county
- Kisii Teaching & Referral Hospital – Kisii County
- Kerugoya County Referral Hospital – Kirinyaga County
Outpatient mental health services: In addition to the above-named hospitals, all the other hospitals may offer care services either within the general outpatient clinic or in the general medical wards. There are no psychiatric beds for community residential and daycare facilities.
- Baringo County Referral Hospital
- Chuka Hospital
- Elegeyo Marakwet Hospital
- Garrisa County Referral Hospital
- Jaramogi Oginga Odinga TRH
- Kericho County Referral Hospital
- Kiambu Level 5 Hospital
- Kitale County Referral Hospital
- Kitui County Referral Hospital
- Makueni County Referral Hospital
- Malindi Hospital
- Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital
- Mbagathi Hospital
- Mombasa Hospital
- Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital
- Narok County Referral Hospital
- Thika Level 5 Hospital
- Voi Hospital
- Webuye Hospital
Level 2 and 3 Facilities
Outpatient
- Shika Adabu Health Centre – Mombasa County
- Lower Kabete Health Centre – Nairobi County
- Kawangware Health Centre – Nairobi County
- Westlands Health Centre – Nairobi County
Stories and Publications
Programme Officer – Wellness
Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi is hiring a Programme Officer for the Wellness Initiative programme.
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