Alcoholic medical student from Nyeri kicked out of varsity

A medicine student from Nyeri is now working as a casual laborer on construction sites after he was discontinued from university for being addicted to alcohol.

Michael Wanjohi, who was among the top students in KCSE, is now struggling to overcome alcoholism at a rehabilitation centre in Tetu, Nyeri.

His troubles started while he was in second year at the University of Nairobi (UoN), after he failed to sit his examinations. At the time, the university enforced a new rule requiring students to have attended two thirds of lectures before sitting their exams.
"The university introduced a rule that if you did not attend two thirds of the classes, you would not be allowed to sit the exam. I had missed most of the lectures while out in bars drinking, thus was locked out," Mr Wanjohi said.

After being discontinued in his third year, he decided he would never go back to school and started looking for jobs.
However, with only a high school certificate, finding a job was difficult, leading to his falling into a depressive state that saw him drown further in the pool of alcoholism.

"I went back after three years, did the exams and qualified for fourth year. In fifth year, I fell back into my old ways and was discontinued again. I did not do the exam because I felt I was inadequately prepared. After that, I was kicked out again," he said.

Tetu Deputy County Commissioner Herman Shambi recounts that Wanjohi approached him and wrote him a letter that got him readmitted but he failed to sit his exams and was consequently discontinued.

Mr Shambi urges the public to change their mind set and view alcoholism as a social vice that must be tackled by all, starting with the family. "Parents must not leave the problems of alcoholism to the Government alone," he said.
Ann Nduta, a rehabilitation coordinator in Tetu attributed the high cases of alcoholism in Mt Kenya to parents' laxity in dealing with the boy child.

After attending counselling sessions to rediscover himself, Wanjohi has applied to go back to UoN, asking to be readmitted. "I've been applying to go back and they have said that they would get back to me. If I get that chance, I'll be very serious," he said.