Murkomen: Most young online trolls are struggling with mental illness

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen at Nalepo, Kajiado County on March 29, 2025/ MINA

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has said that many young people propagating uncouth behaviour on social media are likely grappling with mental health issues borne by substance abuse.

He said substance abuse has "extremely destroyed" the lot who have resorted to insulting people online as a coping mechanism.

"Most of these young people posting hateful messages on social media are battling mental health challenges brought on by drug abuse and alcohol abuse," he said.

Murkomen was speaking on Sunday during a church service in Makutano, Meru county.

His remarks come after a study by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) linked drug abuse to depression and other mental health issues among university students.

According to the report, "one in every 17 university students (5.8 per cent) experienced moderately severe depressive disorders, while one in every 29 students (3.5 per cent) faced severe depressive disorders.

The report highlights that female students are more affected, with a higher prevalence of both moderately severe depression (6.4 per cent) and severe depression (4.1 per cent), compared to male students, who have rates of 5.2 per cent and 3.0 per cent, respectively.

The report also reveals that 45.6 per cent of university students have used at least one drug or substance in their lifetime.

According to Nacada, 26.6 per cent of students, across both private and public universities, are currently using substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and khat.

Additionally, emerging drugs like methamphetamine and codeine syrup are increasingly making their way into student communities.

“Data analysis on past-month use also showed an emerging trend in the use of new psychoactive substances among university students, particularly synthetic substances such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, GHB, LSD, psychedelics, and ketamine,” the report states.

Further findings indicate that alcohol is the most widely available substance, with 87.3 per cent of students reporting access

One in every five students (18.6 per cent) had used alcohol in the past month.

This was followed by cigarettes (64.4 per cent), shisha (41.2 per cent), vape/e-cigarettes (31 per cent), nicotine pouches (30.7 per cent), kuber (23 percent), and snuff/chewed tobacco (22.1 per cent).