Former Chief Justice David Maraga has spoken candidly about his past struggles with alcohol and what ultimately led him to give it up.
According to Maraga, his drinking began while he was a student at Maranda High School.
Speaking during an interview with Oga Obina, the former CJ admitted that the habit continued through his time at Kisii High School, the university, and even after completing his training at the Kenya School of Law, while he was working as a lawyer in Nakuru.
“I was baptised into the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church when I was in primary school and I was a well-behaved boy. But at Maranda High School, I fell in with the wrong crowd, and that’s when I started drinking,” Maraga said.
He added, “By the time I was at Kisii High School for my final two years, I was drinking more heavily. It continued during university and even when I began my professional life, until I decided to stop.”
Maraga recounted a moment from his early legal career in the land registry that highlighted the risks of his drinking.
On one occasion, after a weekend trip to Nairobi to handle documents, he found himself without fuel to return to Nakuru.
“I ended up in Nyamakima, where some people helped me get passengers who contributed fuel so I could get back,” he said.
He also shared that his drinking once contributed to a minor car accident, further underscoring the dangers he faced.
The turning point came after a night at the army barracks in Nakuru, where he drank until 2am.
“The next morning, I couldn’t even remember how I got home. I realised I could have died, and that’s when I decided to quit completely,” Maraga explained.
Following that decision, he returned to church on January 1, 1991, a choice he says has stayed with him ever since.
“I went to church that day and never looked back,” he added.
Maraga served as Kenya’s 14th Chief Justice from October 2016 until his retirement in January 2021.
On June 18, he officially announced his bid for the presidency in the 2027 general election.
Reflecting on his decision, Maraga said, “After talking with friends and thinking deeply about the country’s future, I concluded that it’s time to take responsibility for our nation’s leadership. We cannot allow others to lead us into ruin. That reflection led me to decide to run for president in 2027.”
