Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives on the Devolved Health Functions and Mental Health Funding Gaps in Nairobi City County, Kenya

This research was undertaken to explore healthcare workers’ perspectives on the role of the devolved health functions in ameliorating mental health funding gap in Nairobi County, Kenya. It was anchored on two theories: the decentralization theory and the structural functionalist theory. The study adopted the case study research design and was purely qualitative in approach. The saturation method of sample size determination was applied. Data was collected through in-depth interview guides, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs), and analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis and document analysis. The findings derived from the Braun and Clarke (2006) analytical framework indicated that Nairobi under the county government addressed mental health funding gap. The study concluded that devolved health function had played a significant role in ameliorating mental health funding gap in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study recommended that Nairobi City County ought to increase mental health budgetary allocation, and that Kenya’s 47 counties must develop specific budget lines for mental healthcare. Key Words: Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives; Devolved Health Function; Mental Health Funding Gap