"We are Totally Broke" 5 former tahidi high actors and actresses finally open about battle with alcoholism

 

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Kenyans have expressed their worries following revelations that more ex- Tahidi actors are coming out to disclose fighting depression and alcoholism.

This is after it emerged that actor Benard Mwangi who played the role of Mr. Mweposi in the popular local drama series is a victim of the vice.

During an interview with Donald Mwepesy, Mr. Mweposi revealed resorting to alcoholism after his marriage ended.

“In 2011, things changed, and I started being alcoholic. When my marriage ended, I started drinking even more. I became depressed. Before that I was not even drinking alcohol, I did not take alcohol in my youth. I got saved when I was a young boy and I have grown in the church to an extent I was even preaching,” he narrated.

He revealed that things got worse when he joined the program that aired on Citizen TV as he experienced a lot of expectations from his fans.

“Family, friends and the community expected much from me. They thought because I was on television, I was making a lot of money. And when you do not do what they expect from you, they say you are selfish and self-centred. But in the real sense there is no money.”

The father of three appealed to Kenyans of good will to help him grow his pepper and onion business.

“I have a farm and I would need help to get seedlings for onion, garlic and pepper. I want something long term.”

Mr. Mweposi’s story comes just a few weeks after fellow actor Kamau Kinuthia popularly known as Omosh broke down in an emotional video pleading to Kenyans to help him get out of his financial tribulations.

“Life has been so difficult. I cannot provide meals for my family. My children are even wondering what has become of me…There is nothing as hard as waking up every morning and there is nowhere I am going. You see people going to work and coming back and you have nowhere to go. It is very painful,” Omosh narrated. 

His story touched so many Kenyans with media personality Jalango spearheading a drive to raise money to assist the entertainer.

At the same time, their colleague Angel Waruinge alias Miss Morgan joined the strings of ex- actors who also admitted to fighting depression.

Unlike her disciplinarian character in Tahidi High show, the veteran TV girl admitted to resorting to alcoholism when things did not work out for her.

“I basically went through it. What happens when you start becoming famous, you start living this life, you start becoming broke, but you still have to live to that expectation. Then you start living an empty life,” she narrated.

Adding;

“So, when you start living an empty life, what happens? You start getting stressed… I went through depression. And depression can take you to alcohol. Some other people will just hide in the Christian faith. I embraced alcoholism at some point but luckily I had a strong family and friends who noticed what was happening to me.”

In 2020, Dennis Mugo who played OJ in the short Tv program, confessed to getting into depression after he carelessly spent the money he had earned from the program.

OJ who got a lot of product endorsement jobs and other gigs after his fame, said that he saved nothing from the well paying engagements.

“I made my first million, but what did I do with it? nothing. The celebrity mentality got into my head. I was a big name and the fame left as fast as it came. After the show ended, I started to wonder why the people who were calling me for jobs were not looking for me anymore. I got a son during that time but we later separated with my wife due to my alcohol problem. I got to a point to my life where I had depression due to my situation,” he said.

Tahidi High is a popular show in Kenya’s households exclusively casted in a high school set up.

By jalango TV