CJ Maraga confesses his struggle with alcoholism

Chief Justice David Maraga has come out to reveal his battle with alcoholism that nearly ruined his career and almost separated him from his family.

Maraga made the admission during a graduation ceremony at the Catholic University of East Africa where he also cautioned young people of the dangers of drug abuse.

The Chief Justice recalled that as a young person in secondary school, he courted bad company that introduced him to drinking.

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He admitted that he later became a drunkard who neglected and became disinterested in his professional growth.

“I got into bad company in Secondary School and slipped in the spiritual sense. While in that bad company, I drunk hard and, except for providing for the bare necessities, I ignored my family and literally mark-timed for about 20 years. I did not bother to further my professional career,” the Judiciary boss recalled.

The CJ stated that his life took a different turn after he heeded his conscience which was calling him back to become the model Christian he had been raised to become. He later joined the University of Nairobi where he advanced his education.

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“When I eventually returned, God pointed me to a path of unwavering purpose that has brought me to where I am today. It is after I discovered my purpose in life that I realised I needed to do a masters degree and I went to class after 34 years,” Maraga said.

He said that his decision to quit drinking was not easy as some of his friends kept mocking him, but determined, he started shedding bad company and ultimately reorganized his life – a factor he attributed as helping him ear the Chief Justice job.

"Let me not bore you with the story of my life. But allow me to say this. I am sure I would not have been appointed Judge, leave alone being the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya today, had I not eventually found my purpose in life and pursued it relentlessly,” Maraga said in the speech.