The Fatboy Show presenters James Onen aka Fatboy, and Olive Najjuma have argued that the issues perturbing police officers do not need counseling but action-oriented solutions to address their mental health challenges.
The presenters made the remarks while responding to the five-year strategy, ruled out by the Uganda Police Force to help address the mental health challenges arising from low pay and poor housing.
Fatboy reasoned that even though the strategy sounds like a dignified attempt to help police officers deal with their challenges and cater to their welfare, it seems to be evading the root cause of their mental health problems.
“If a police officer says they are depressed, what do you think will cure his depression? Will weekly counseling sessions help, or a salary increment? Put him in a better house, pay him better, then he won’t be depressed,” Fatboy proposed.
He thought it hilarious to pay police officers small salaries while being counseled every weekend for mental health challenges.
Olive Najjuma thought it absurd that police officers receive counseling to solve mental health issues arising from poor pay and housing.
Fatboy added, “the irony is they will be paying the psychiatrists tonnes of money."
He continued that therapy alone cannot solve some problems. Talking about the problems does not solve them but makes it worse if there is no attempt to have them solved.”
The duo, therefore, urged the government to intervene and create action-oriented solutions such as improving the pay of the police officers than providing therapy.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, and Sarah every weekday from 6 am to 10 am on RX Radio.