Former Tahidi High actor Dennis Mugo alias OJ regrets drinking away his earnings from his glory days on the Citizen TV comedy show.
Opening up on his YouTube channel, Mr Mugo said he is the perfect example of the Swahili proverb of ‘Asiyefunzwa na mamaye hufunzwa an ulimwengu’.
Raised by a strict single mother, OJ says he got the best as a child, went to a boarding school in class four but started going rogue in high school.
“Along the way, I learnt alcoholism and smoking. I started smoking in Form 2 and in Form 3, I started taking alcohol. From chang’aa to anything I would get along,” he said.
“The habit has affected me years down the line. I’m turning 35 years but I have been hiding from the mess.”
OJ said he made his first million from Tahidi High, well-paying hosting jobs and advertisements from big corporates.
“I made my first million, but what did I do with it? Nothing,” he said.
“Do you ever look at your friends and get jealous of their growth, especially when you look at where you are and how focused they were back then?”
According to the actor, he made his first million before some of his Tahidi High co-stars such as Abel Mutua, who stuck to their dreams and have achieved a lot while he is still struggling.
“I didn’t invest well because of bad habits, which till today hit me. I got to a point I fell into depression. I could cover it with alcohol, humour and cigarettes.
“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,” he said.
OJ also admitted that his drinking problem led to marital problems.
“I got a son during that time but later separated with my wife due to my alcohol problem,” he said.
Mugo now works for the Embu government in the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, specifically in the Talent Academy.
