Ex-rugby great Ombachi opens up on bipolar struggles

Former Kenya rugby star Dennis Ombachi has opened up on his mental health struggles as the world marked World Mental Health Day, saying he's been battling bi-polar disorder alongside depression.

According to the former rugby player, the disorder started way back in high school days, noting that the sports played a part in helping him manage the situation.

"At some point I snubbed and decided to run away from secondary school and at that time I had enough money to board a bus from Kisii to Nairobi where I spent a week in the streets," said Ombachi.

"I was expelled from school and that's when I joined Kiambu high school and the principal then Mr Gitau knew where I came from and the situation I was going through with my former school and he encouraged me to join rugby which helped me manage my situation," added Ombachi.

And in a shocking admission, noted that he had a relapse during the 2016 Rio Olympics but hid it from his colleagues.

"After and during Rio 2016 I was struggling on matters mental health and it wasn't easy but I managed to hide it from other players and concentrate with the tournament," explained Ombachi.

Ombachi scored the last try to help Shujaa then coached by Mike Friday qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics after narrowly beating Zimbabwe 21-17.

The former Nondescripts winger who is also a roaming chef has urged the world to continue with the discussion about mental disorder and depression since many people are going through similar difficulty.