Mental Health Support Rooms Rolled Out in Nairobi Secondary Schools

A growing number of secondary schools in Nairobi County are opening dedicated mental-health support rooms, providing students with safe spaces to discuss emotional and psychological issues. These hubs are part of broader initiatives, supported by organisations such as the Shamiri Institute, to embed psychosocial support into the school environment. The rooms offer peer-led therapy, one-on-one counseling, and mental-wellness education sessions during and after school hours.
The rollout reflects concerted efforts by multiple partners to strengthen mental-health services in schools. UNESCO and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) conducted a five-day training workshop in Nairobi in September 2024, equipping teachers with skills in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) aligned to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Non-governmental groups like Basic Needs Kenya also contribute through their Teen Mental Health School programme, training teachers and facilitating structured peer-support spaces for adolescents.
In addition, community-based organisations are supporting school wellness efforts. The PMWC-Kenya’s Safety in Schools initiative establishes mental-health clubs and safe-spaces where learners are encouraged to talk openly about stress, bullying and life challenges—a move credited with reducing stigma and improving peer support. Experts say that these rooms help bridge the gap between clinical care and everyday school life, giving students accessible mental-health support where they spend most of their day.
Looking ahead, county education officials and mental-health partners hope to scale the model across all 17 sub-counties in Nairobi. Plans are underway to integrate mental-health spaces into school-health strategy documents, train more peer counselors and set up monitoring systems to track usage, outcomes, and referral pathways. If implemented fully, Nairobi’s mental-health support rooms could set a precedent for adolescent psychosocial care in Kenyan schools.