Veteran Kenyan politician and former governor of Meru county, Kiraitu Murungi, has announced on his Facebook page that he has completed a one-year course in happiness studies with the US Happiness Studies Academy.

“I am now fully equipped to spearhead the happiness revolution in my motherland,” the 71-year-old wrote.

The New York-based academy, which offers online courses, was founded by Dr Tal Ben Shahar, who previously taught positive psychology and the psychology of leadership at Harvard University.

Mr Murungi said his motivation for doing the course came after losing the governorship in the 2022 elections after 30 years in politics, which caused him stress and depression.

“My journey as a lawyer and a politician took a toll on me. I was anxious and worried most of the time,” he posted on Facebook.

“Nobody is completely happy. In life, everybody is happy and sad but you try. Where I am now, I am happy. I am making good progress in my pursuit of happiness.”

The website of the Happiness Studies Academy says that participants on its course get "the knowledge and practical tools to cultivate happiness across various dimensions, including the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and national levels".

Earlier this year, Mr Murungi launched a magazine, the Happiness Journal, which is published by his company, the Happiness Resource Centre. He is the chief happiness officer at the company.