By John Mutiso
Former Chief Justice David Maranga has opened up on his struggle with alcohol before he decided to quit drinking.
Speaking on Monday, November 24, during an interview with Oga Obbina, Maraga said he started drinking when he was in Maranda High School.
The former CJ noted that he continued drinking while on campus and even after completing the Kenya School of Law (KSL) and began working as a lawyer in Nakuru.
“When I was in primary school, I was baptised to the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church, and I was a very good boy then. I went to Maranda High School. I found some bad boys there, they lured me into their company, and I started taking alcohol.
“When I went to Kisii High School for form 5 and 6, I drank quite a lot, through university, then I started working before I decided to get out of it,” Maraga stated.
The 2027 presidential hopeful recounted that while working in the land registry, he once drank heavily and did not have money for fuel to return to Nakuru after travelling to Nairobi on the weekends to process documents.
“There was one time I didn’t even have fuel to go back, I went to Nyamakima, a I got some touts, and they got me some passengers who fueled my car, and we went to Nakuru,” Maraga narrated.
The former CJ also disclosed that he was involved in a minor accident after his car swerved and hit the side of the road.
Maraga decided to quit drinking after an incident where he went out drinking and could not remember how he drove back home.
“What drove me to get out of it completely was when I went to the army barracks in Nakuru, and we drank until 2:00 am. The following morning, I couldn’t recollect how I got home, and I said to myself I could have easily died,” said Maraga.
The retired CJ mentioned that after deciding to quit alcohol, he went to church and has never looked back.
“On January 1, 1991, I went to church, and I have never looked back,” Maraga added.
Maraga served as Kenya’s 14th Chief Justice from October 2016 until January 2021, when he retired.
On June 18, Maraga officially declared that he will run for president in the 2027 general election.
In a brief statement, Maraga said he decided to run for the country’s top office after consultations and reflection.
“After discussion with friends and after serious reflection, I thought it was time we thought about the leadership of this country. We cannot let some people take our country to doomsday literally.
“As a result of that reflection, I have made up my mind that I will run for the presidency of this country in 2027,” Maraga announced.
