As we snaked our way into Kahawa Wendani Chiefs camp, the blazing midday sun shone relentlessly and everyone seemed to be taking shelter in the shades.

After a warm reception, we headed to a dark thicket, opposite Upton building in Kahawa Wendani where KCSE A student Brian Kamau, 25, a university student dropout has called home for the last three months.

We were accompanied by the area chief, two community mobilisers and Kamau’s mother, Waithera Mwangi.

We found a ramshackle blanket, a black jacket and a plastic lunch box.

Kamau was not there. We were informed that after his story was posted on social media, his friends gave him transport to go back home to Nanyuki.

His mother shed tears on seeing where the son has been calling home.

Kahawa Wendani Chief Christine Makimei said that Kamau came to his office two days ago and told her that he urgently needed help.

The Chief said upon interrogation, she discovered that he had been on drugs and was living in a nearby thicket, forcing her to send the aides to ascertain whether what he (Kamau) was saying was true.

Makimei said they took the initiative of looking for his parents in order to save the situation, saying he cooperated by giving them his parents’ contact. They managed to reach his mother.  

Derrick Mbugua, a community mobiliser, from Kahawa Wendani, who first posted his case on his social media page, said that Kamau took him to the thicket, where he was living, but he didn’t believe him until he came back at 3.00 am and found him in deep slumber.

Mbugua said the following day, he took him to a cyber café and downloaded his Form Four certificate and a few university transcripts. He was shocked to learn Kamau was a bright student, who needed help to transform his life.

“He told me that he wants to go back to school and that the only thing he needed was someone to pay for his tuition fee and accommodation. He confessed he has been hooked on drugs. He has assured us that if taken back to the university, he will complete his studies and become a better person,” said Mbugua.

 Waithera said that her son was humble and obedient but changed after she parted ways with his father.  

But luckily, he managed to score an A – (minus) in 2014 and joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat) to study for a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Control and Instrumentation.

Ms Waithera said things moved from bad to worse immediately after he joined the university. 

“My son became a drug addict. He spent his tuition fee on drugs and betting. He would occasionally take my phone without permission and take huge mobile app loans. I am still paying the loans,” said WaitheraShe added: “Using my phone, he took a mobile bank loan of Sh30,000 from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Sh14,000 from Timiza (online money lender), Sh11,300 from Mshwari and Sh900 from Fuliza and then disappeared. This is what made me give up on him after being blacklisted by CRB.”

Waithera said that Kamau is a bright boy and would want him to go back to school and pursue his dreams but she can longer afford to cater for his tuition fee and accommodation at the university. 

Kamau told The Standard that he regrets his actions. He said he started taking drugs due to peer pressure. 

Hard economic times

“I got hooked on drugs by my friends in order to survive and reduce the pressure I was facing occasioned by hard economic times. I was using low-grade cocaine in powdered form. You become intoxicated for 24 hours,” said Kamau.

He admits he squandered all his money on drugs. 

After dropping out of campus in April 2017 , while in second year, he relocated to Nanyuki town and started working at a car wash.

“I used to wash cars in Nanyuki, later went to Nakuru and finally, Kahawa Wendani in Nairobi. I used to get jobs for which I was being paid in commission. I started pushing a handcart where I could hardly get Sh100 a day,” said Kamau.

“I was unable to get food and pay my rent of Sh3,500. I was kicked out by the landlord and the guilt of going back to my mother’s house made me seek asylum in a thicket where I have lived for over 90 days.”  

He said he had plans to start a business from the money he stole from his mother, but things didn’t work out.  “I asked for forgiveness, but my mother was not ready to receive me back to the house owing to the past experience. I regret my actions. I am willing to go back to school if I get a sponsor,” he added.

Njambi Chege, a local community mobiliser, said Kamau’s story is an eye opener and asked the government to do a crackdown in Kahawa Wendani, revealing many university students are hooked to drugs and engage in criminal activities.

“Many students have squandered tuition fees and pocket money given to them by their parents.  They end up homeless. Urgent intervention is needed to arrest the situation,” said Chege.