For 18 years, drug and alcohol addiction robbed Dr Andrew Mwengwa Thuka of his dreams, taking him from a top-performing student with a straight A in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) to years of substance dependence.
Today, he is a qualified medical doctor whose journey from addiction to recovery is inspiring hope for thousands of Kenyans battling substance abuse.
Dr Mwengwa shared his remarkable story during the launch of his memoir, Walking Through My Own Ashes, a deeply personal account that chronicles his descent into addiction, the years he lost, and his determination to rebuild his life.
According to Dr Mwengwa, his struggle began in Standard Seven, when he experimented with cigarettes before progressing to alcohol, cannabis, inhalants and injectable drugs.
What started as experimentation eventually developed into an addiction that consumed nearly two decades of his life. After seeking professional help and committing to recovery, he returned to school and, 22 years after completing secondary education, achieved his dream of becoming a medical doctor.
The book launch became more than a literary event, serving as a platform to encourage individuals battling addiction and to demonstrate that recovery is possible regardless of how long the struggle has lasted.
Former addicts who attended the event shared emotional testimonies of how substance abuse had disrupted their education, careers, marriages and family relationships while leaving many in financial hardship before they found the path to recovery.
Parents also spoke about the pain of watching their children succumb to addiction and the relief of seeing many of them reclaim their lives through rehabilitation and support.
Speaking during the event, Deliverence Church Thika Bishop Kennedy Mbatia called for a collective response to Kenya’s growing drug and substance abuse crisis.
He said the responsibility of addressing addiction should not rest solely on families ,churches or government institutions, urging communities, schools, faith-based organisations and other stakeholders to work together in preventing substance abuse, supporting rehabilitation and helping recovering addicts reintegrate into society.
The event concluded with renewed calls for greater investment in addiction prevention, treatment and awareness programmes, as speakers emphasized that recovery is achievable with timely intervention, support and determination.
