Campus Confessions: How 'kupigwa exile' made me a football fan

“During my first year, I lived in the hostels,” Brian Otieno begins. “I was really excited because, finally, I was away from home. I shared a room with one other guy. Even though I was an introvert, I didn’t really mind the setup.”

We are walking back home after watching an exhilarating semi-final match between Arsenal and PSG. 

Brian explains that he wasn’t what you'd call a “ladies’ man,” so most of his weekends were spent enjoying movies and catching up on sleep—two things he loved dearly.

His roommate, however, was quite the opposite. He often had female friends over, but as long as they kept to their side of the room, Brian didn’t mind.

“One day, he came back with his girlfriend and politely asked me to give them some privacy. He said he’d text me when it was okay to return. I was right in the middle of one of my favourite episodes of Game of Thrones, but I decided to grant him this one favour,” he recalls.

But what started as a one-time request quickly turned into a recurring routine.

“Soon, it became a habit. Most Saturdays and Sundays nilikuwa napigwa exile,” he says with a laugh. “So, I started spending my afternoons at the student center watching football. And before I knew it, I had fallen in love with Arsenal Football Club. Now, I’m a die-hard fan.”

It was awkward being in the room while the couple cuddled and giggled.

“Sikukuwa nataka kukuwa mpenzi mtazamaji,” he says with a chuckle.

He vividly recalled one incident that marked a turning point.

“I remember going to watch a Champions League semi-final between Liverpool and Barcelona. His girlfriend had come over again, so I left them in the room, thinking I’d come back once the match was over and she’d be gone. But this time was different.”

Their door had two locks—one at the top and one at the bottom. Normally, his roommate would only lock the top one, and Brian had a spare key for that. But this time, both locks were secured from the inside.

“They were both asleep when I returned,” Brian says, shaking his head. “I tried knocking, calling his phone—nothing. I even went back to the student centre for a bit, but the cold was too much. Eventually, I had to spend the night in someone else's room.”

He was furious. But that night taught him a lesson.

“When the next semester started, I moved into a single room outside campus. I wasn’t going through that again,” he says firmly.

“Every time I go out to watch a Champions League match now, I remember that night,” he adds, laughing at the memory.