A Facebook post by user Otemik Otemik has posted a post that reveals the struggles of Emanuel Muema Wambua, a Kenyatta University student from Mutomo Sub-county, Kitui, who scored an impressive A- in KCSE but has now fallen victim to gambling addiction.
Wambua, currently in his third year, admitted in an emotional confession that he squandered his Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funds through betting.
“I got HELB and gambled all. Then I talked to my friend, who said he would accommodate me. He sent me money for rent, a bed, and a mattress, but it was not enough,” he explained.
Overcome by tears, Wambua revealed how deeply entrenched he has become in gambling.
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“Again, I thought I could top it up through betting. I gambled it all. It has reached a point where you send me Sh20, and I will gamble it. Even Sh10, Sh5, I will gamble. I don’t know — it’s an addiction,” he confessed.
Wambua, who comes from a humble background, said the addiction has left him desperate, uncertain about his academic future, and entangled in lies to raise money for betting.
“I just need help. Even if it’s not money, just advice. I’m ready to go to rehab,” he concluded.
Leaders and education stakeholders have been calling for interventions to migitate the growing menace of gambling addiction among young people, particularly university students who increasingly rely on betting in the face of financial hardships.
By Joseph Mambili
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