New Initiative Encourages Workplace Wellness Programs

In a landmark move, the Kenyan government has launched a comprehensive workplace wellness policy targeting public service employees. The new Public Service Workplace Policy on HIV, AIDS and Other Syndemic Diseases (2025) emphasizes employee assistance programs, regular counseling, and wellness services to foster healthier, more supportive work environments.
The policy is not limited to communicable diseases. It also integrates mental health, non-communicable diseases, and substance use disorders — aligning the wellness agenda with modern public health needs. Large-scale wellness initiatives will include the creation of Wellness Committees and training of Mental Health Champions within public institutions to ensure sustained psychosocial support.
County governments are also taking concrete action. In Nakuru County, officials are drafting a Public Service Counseling and Wellness Policy to set up structured mental health programs across all departments. The draft policy includes frameworks for workplace counseling, stress management, and flexible working environments.
On the private-sector front, The Nairobi Hospital recently hosted a strategic wellness engagement with HR leaders from major companies, highlighting how workplace wellness programs are evolving into a core business strategy. The event underscored wellness as a productivity driver, with physical, mental, social, and emotional employee wellbeing being treated as central to high-performing organizations.