Maraga confesses about his ‘dark past’ and how alcoholism almost ruined his career
Chief Justice David Maraga has made a public confession on his past struggles with heavy drinking and how alcoholism almost ruined his career.
The 67-year-old, now a staunch Seventh Day Adventist, made the revelations this week when he attended the 37th Catholic University of East Africa graduation ceremony.
While addressing the graduands, the Chief Justice recounted how dalliance with bad company during his secondary school days got him hooked on alcohol.
This, he said, was despite the fact that he came from a poor background and needed to focus on his studies.
BAD COMPANY
“Let me first tell you a little about my life’s story and from it you will no doubt see how amazing God’s grace will always be. I was baptized and joined the Seventh Day Adventist Church in 1965 while in primary school,” Maraga began his narration.
“However, I got into bad company in secondary school and slipped in the spiritual sense. While in the bad company, I drank 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,” he recounted in his long speech.
His drinking habit saw him losing interest in his career growth and development to a point his family almost gave up on him.
QUIT DRINKING
It is when he was almost hitting rock bottom that Maraga quit drinking and decided to go back to the church.
However, he says, quitting wasn’t easy as his friends would mock him and call him ‘derisive’ names such as ‘Pastor’ whenever he refused to buy them alcohol like before.
Maraga, who back in 2016 during his vetting for the office said he can’t compromise church for work, would eventually attain his Masters degree 34 years after his undergraduate.
He later joined the Judiciary in 2003 and steadily rose through the ranks to become Kenya’s second Chief Justice under the 2010 Constitution.