Beyond the empty pockets: Why this 'Njaanuary' feels heavier than usual

If you have felt a distinctive heaviness in the air this week, you are not alone. We have officially arrived at the doldrums of the year—that stretch of mid-January where the festive cheer has evaporated, but the end-of-month salary alert is still a distant mirage. In Kenya, we have colloquially dubbed this season "Njaanuary," a humorous nod to the famine of funds that plagues us after December. But as a psychiatrist, I often look past the memes to see the genuine psychological toll this month takes on our collective mental health.