Years of abuse to my ticker led me down a path of pain

Kenneth Kimeli, 49, knows all too well the dangers of several years of smoking and drinking.

I started smoking and drinking illicit brews when I joined high school 20 years ago. I progressively began abusing drugs too. I troubled my parents a lot and was transferred to three different schools in their attempt to tame my behaviour. It worked for a while, but when I sat my KCSE five years later and moved away from my parents, I continued drinking and smoking.

Two years after I left high school, I started getting weak. I was always too fatigued to perform my daily duties at a painting business I ran. I battled nausea and I was always sweating profusely even when it was cold. I visited many health facilities and received treatment that did little to help.