How Peer Pressure Led Me to Crime | Regrets have Led me to Change

Meet Our Guest: Judy Mwangi Judy Mwangi was born and raised in Dandora, but she now lives in Githurai 45. Her mother worked tirelessly to ensure Judy got an education, despite many financial challenges. After completing high school, her parents urged her to repeat Form Four because of her age, but Judy refused. Instead, she ran away from home and moved in with friends. Together, they began frequenting nightclubs. It was in those clubs that they started drugging patrons and stealing from them—sometimes even breaking into their homes while the victims were intoxicated. Two years later, Judy returned home. Her mother helped her secure a job as a cleaner with the National Youth Service (NYS). By then, Judy was already addicted to drugs—a habit she had picked up in high school. While working, she met a boyfriend who seemed ideal at the time because he could always supply her with drugs. The drugs changed Judy. She became fearless and reckless. Her boyfriend was also involved in theft and carried weapons. Judy often acted as the courier, hiding the weapons during their missions, which mostly took place in clubs. Eventually, Judy became pregnant. But her boyfriend wasn’t committed—he was using her to transport weapons and drugs. He abandoned her, and when their child turned two, he was tragically killed. Judy fled home again, stealing money from her grandmother. She and a friend moved into a club, where they resumed their criminal lifestyle—drugging and robbing people. Judy continued sending her friend to deliver groceries to her mother, but her friend never told her that Judy’s mother was seriously ill. She feared Judy would return home and leave her behind. One day, Judy went to collect her clothes from this friend, unaware that the police were waiting. Her friend had tipped them off about a stolen laptop, and Judy was arrested. She was taken to Lang’ata Women’s Prison. Today, Judy deeply regrets the choices she made—the path she took, the friends she trusted, and the way peer pressure led her astray. Her story is a powerful reminder of how easily one can lose their way—and how important it is to find the strength to change.