Emotional comeback for man who left home to join university in Nairobi 26 years ago

Samuel Irungu (right) is welcomed back home in Gitweku Village, Murang’a County on October 20, 2016 after returning, 26 years after he left home to join the University of Nairobi but has never gone back since then. The bachelor of commerce degree holder said alcohol abuse ruined his life. PHOTO | MARTIN MWAURA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Irungu said things took a downturn when he joined the university where he started indulging in alcohol abuse.
  • He said he managed to graduate “by God’s grace” but did not even bother attending the graduation ceremony due to alcoholism.
  • A former classmate at the Kabete campus who recognised him when he brought his car to the carwash.
  • Irungu agreed to join a rehabilitation centre that was being run by another former classmate in Kabete, Kiambu County.

The 2016 Mashujaa Day was unique for a family in Gitweku Village, Murang’a County as a man who mysteriously disappeared 26 years ago returned home to an emotional reunion.

Samuel Irungu, 49, left home in 1990 to join the University of Nairobi but has never gone back home since then even after he finished his studies in 1994.

Irungu, or Papa as he is popularly known, said things took a downturn when he joined the university where he started indulging in alcohol abuse.

He said he first tasted alcohol as a student at the university when he was given a Helb loan, popularly known as boom in those days.

In 1994, he said, he managed to graduate “by God’s grace” but did not even bother attending the graduation ceremony due to alcoholism.

“I started operating a hotel in Nairobi and business was good but my profit ended up in bars and the business suffered. The worst came in 1998 when it was demolished by the Nairobi City Council askaris,” he said.

“Since I had no other job, I started doing odd jobs and finally settled on washing cars at Buru Buru shopping centre and whatever little I got ended up in bars until this year when I was rescued by my friends” he added.

He narrated that luck came his way when he met a former classmate at the Kabete campus who recognised him when he brought his car to the carwash.

JOINED REHAB

The two started talking and Irungu agreed to join a rehabilitation centre that was being run by another former classmate in Kabete, Kiambu County.

When he started getting better, he informed them that since he left home in 1990, he has never gone back and they agreed to take him home to see his family.

It was celebration galore as relatives and villagers came together as tears of joy flowed freely to welcome him home.

Hannah Wanjiku, his mother, said they had spent sleepless nights in the first few years of his disappearance and had lost hope of ever finding him.

The family later received information that their son had been spotted somewhere in Nairobi.

They went looking for him and tried to convince him to come back home but he refused.

The mother could not hide her joy when the son finally returned home.

She even gave him a parcel of land to construct a house.

Irungu said he refused to return home for all those years due to shame as he did not know how he could have faced his family.

“I left a very good young man and everybody had high hopes on me but I had disappointed them so I chose to stay away as I drowned my sorrows in alcohol,” he said.

Irungu, who has a bachelor of commerce degree said his mission is to look for a job and to start a family.

“My advice to the youth: stay away from alcohol and drugs before they ruin your life,” he warned.