Andrew Mwengwa made it to the national newspapers in 2000 after he completed high school as a straight A student, becoming number 16 countrywide.
His stellar performance at Thika High School led him to joining the Moi University in Eldoret, to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB).
He would, however, be issued with a three-year-suspension after engaging in alcoholism and drug abuse.
"I completed my Form Four in the year 2000. From Form One to Form Four, I never tasted position two and joined University but due to indiscipline, drugs and all those things, I had to be suspended for three years," Mwengwa stated in a previous ceremony at Thika High school.
"I overstayed at home for five years, I went back in 2010 but I did not stop taking alcohol and other drugs. Therefore, I realised I could hardly graduate, hence, I had to desert my education," he added.
After staying home for another five years, Mwengwa would make the decision to go back to school in 2015 and pursue medicine but at the Mt Kenya University.
"For those 15 years, my A plain was being regarded by everybody in the society as useless and as a wasted brain and that is when I started life afresh," he continued.
If all goes well, Mwengwa, who is a fourth-year student, will graduate in the year 2022, having spent 22 years in and out of higher learning.
Mwengwa now encourages the youth to be disciplined and shun behaviours that could lead to time wastage.
"I was a good example, turned the worst example but later turned a good example," Mwengwa concluded.
The National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Strategic Plan 2019-2022 indicates that alcohol and drug abuse is rampant among secondary school students.
NACADA CEO, Victor Okioma, revealed that alcohol was still the most highly abused substance both in and out of the school setting.
“Alcohol is the most abused substance, with a prevalence rate of 12.2%. 10% of substance-related disorders are linked to liquor,” he disclosed.
Watch Mwengwa narrate his story below:
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