A Kenyan university student from one of the country’s most prestigious institutions has sparked widespread debate online after sharing her heartbreaking experience. Her story, originally posted on Betty Wahome’s page, revealed how her lecturer allegedly infected her with HIV during an exploitative relationship tied to promises of academic advancement.
The student recounted that her frequent absenteeism from classes had placed her academic future in jeopardy. One day, after a lecturer assigned coursework, he instructed students to submit their assignments personally. During her interaction with him, the lecturer noticed her irregular attendance and warned that she was at risk of failing the unit.
Feeling overwhelmed and desperate, she explained her struggles to him. University policies emphasize class attendance as a critical requirement for qualification, and her absences had placed her in a precarious position. The lecturer then made her an offer: he would ensure she passed the unit if she agreed to engage in an intimate relationship with him. Pressured by her circumstances, she reluctantly consented.
What followed was a rapid progression of their inappropriate relationship. Her grades improved significantly, and she was even appointed as the class representative—an achievement that elevated her academic profile. Despite the unethical foundation of her success, she admitted that the lecturer’s charm and “performance” left a strong impression on her.
However, two months later, during her attachment program, the student began experiencing alarming health symptoms. Concerned, she sought medical help, only to be devastated by an HIV diagnosis. In shock and disbelief, she reached out to the lecturer—the only person she had been intimate with for eight months—only to find that he had blocked all communication with her.
Her story is a sobering account of the consequences of exploitation and coercion within academic spaces. Now living with HIV, she bravely shared her ordeal as a cautionary tale, shedding light on the vulnerabilities students face and the importance of addressing abuses of power in institutions of higher learning.
