WORKING HOURS, WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT AND MENTAL HEALTH OF NATIONAL POLICE SERVICE OFFICERS IN SOUTHRIFT, KENYA

The study examined the relationship between employee working hours, work-family conflict and mental health of Kenya National Police Service officers in South Rift, Kenya. The study was motivated by the rising mental health cases of Kenya National Police Service officers. The study adopted correlational and cross-sectional research design. A sample size of 384 respondents were selected from a target population of 13,230 using multi-stage sampling technique and simple random technique. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. A pilot study was conducted on the data collection instrument to pre-test its validity before the main survey, while data reliability was measured using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. The study showed significant negative associations between working hours and mental health of Kenya National Police officers. Moreover, work-family conflict significantly moderated the link between working hours and mental health. The study concludes that addressing mental health requires reduction of employee working hours. Given the findings, the study recommends adoption of flexible duty rosters and rotational shifts that would enable police officers to balance professional obligations with personal and family needs. Furthermore, family-inclusive counseling is essential to mitigate conflict spillovers.