Objective: The study aimed to investigate the types of mental illnesses treated by traditional healers, and their methods of
identifying and treating mental illnesses in their patients. Method: In urban informal settlements of Kibera, Kangemi and
Kawangware in Nairobi, Kenya, we used opportunistic sampling until the required number of traditional healers was reached,
trying as much as possible to represent the different communities of Kenya. Focus group discussions were held with traditional
healers in each site and later an in-depth interview was conducted with each traditional healer. An in-depth interview with each
patient of the traditional healer was conducted and thereafter the MINIPLUS was administered to check the mental illness
diagnoses arrived at or missed by the traditional healers. Quantitative analysis was performed using SPSS while focus group
discussions and in-depth interviews were analysed for emerging themes. Results: Traditional healers are consulted for mental
disorders by members of the community. They are able to recognize some mental disorders, particularly those relating to
psychosis. However, they are limited especially for common mental disorders. Conclusion: There is a need to educate healers
on how to recognize different types of mental disorders and make referrals when patients are not responding to their treatments