As a middle-class Kenyan fresh from campus and enjoying the subtle pleasantries of a basic salary, there are a few things that you will observe about the general Kenyan populous.
Let’s face the facts: we are a depressed country…
Seeing that I still fitsubishi to and from work, I take a few moments of my day to observe the behaviour of my fellow Kenyans in the bus ride to work, at the local kibandaski where I partake in ugali saucer, and even at the chequeing ‘s counter where I go once a month to deposit money.
This is the one thing I observed. 9/10 times, there will always be a grave face to meet me.
You know, the kind of face that will make you reconsider all your life decisions in an instant!
Which begs the question; why are we so depressed? What is is about Kenyans and getting angry?
A Culture of Anger Temperament
Do you know we are considered the 6th most depressed country in Africa?
That’s stange…I thought a great GDP, and a decent circulation of money meant that people were happier?
That’s not the case!
If anything, one monumental rapper once said; more money, more problems
One of the reasons why we are truly depressed is our culture.
You see, from a young age, Kenyan girls and boys have been preconditioned to fight for their own.
The mentality that it’s a jungle out there is being ingrained from us at an early age.
I will give you a good example. As young children, our parents hardly give us the opportunity to express ourselves the best we know how.
Instead of our parents letting us have an opinion, we were always resigned to following their commands and decisions instead of exercising our own
And do you know that childhood abuse affects our mental capabilities 10, even 20 years into the future?
Anger, lashing out, frustration, and depression are just some of the ways in which people express themselves after missing out on a vital part of their childhood.
Lacking Empathy
One of the things I noticed about the general populous is that there is a blatant disregard of one another.
And it starts all the way from the top.
For starters, our politicians rarely take into consideration our state of being as they pilfer billions of shillings from the national kitties.
If that’s not enough, the same attitude trickles down to our fellow brothers and sisters with wealth disputes between family members, thievery, and mistreatment of the less fortunate in the society.
Ironically, Kenyans only start to see each other as brothers and sisters when they categorize themselves into the different forms of tribes that we hold so dearly, yet they make a big part of the depression that we are facing.
Living in Poverty
Unfortunately, not all depression stems from self-infliction. Most Kenyans are depressed because they are either living in poverty, or struggling to make ends meet.
This obsession with money, and the desire to make it in life is what is causing so many problems.
In fact, if you listen in to almost any conversation around, you will notice that most people are always discussing issues related to money, and its lack thereof.
A Corrupt Government
Last but not least, one of the biggest problems facing our country is a corrupt government.
Indeed, many Kenyans feel depressed about the state of affairs in the country, including how politicians are handling different aspects of
Isn’t it not depressing to see billion of shillings being looted by the leaders in our government.
Nevertheless, despite all these troubles, thousands of Kenyans are still pushing on.
That being said, if you happen to know someone who is suffering from depression, advise them to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
This might just save their life and rid them of any suicidal thoughts!