Maraga reveals why he quit alcohol in 1991
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has opened up about his decision to quit alcohol more than three decades ago, recounting a profoundly personal journey marked by peer influence, risky encounters, and a final moment of awakening that changed his life forever.
Speaking during an interview with Obinna TV Extra on Monday, November 24, 2025, Maraga traced his struggle with alcohol back to his school days.
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He explained that although he was baptised into the Seventh-day Adventist Church while still in primary school and lived a disciplined life, everything changed when he joined Maranda High School for his secondary education.
“There I found some bad boys who lured me into their company, and that’s when I started taking alcohol,” he recalled.
The habit intensified in Forms 5 and 6 at Kisii High School, continued through university, and trailed him well into his working years.
Further, Maraga shared vivid memories of his early career, when the land registry was located in Nakuru. Officers often had to travel to Nairobi to process documents, a routine that left enough time for weekend drinking sprees.
“There was a time I didn’t even have fuel to go back,” he said.
Desperate to return to Nakuru, he sought help from touts in Nyamakima who found two or three passengers. They paid for the fuel, and Maraga drove them to Nakuru.
In another instance, he was involved in a minor accident after hitting the roadside, causing the car to swerve. Though he escaped unharmed, the moment left him shaken.
“I was involved in a minor accident. I hit the side of the road, and the car swerved. I was scared. But what drove me to get out of it completely was that I went to Nakuru, the young barracks, and I drank until 2:00 am. On the way home the following morning, I couldn’t recollect how I got home. I stopped. Of course, I used to get urged by my wife. I used to get home at around 2:00 am, and she would ask whether I wanted breakfast or dinner; that’s the kind of life I led.
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Everything changed on January 1, 1991, after attending a church service, where he made a firm decision to quit alcohol, and he has never looked back.
“On January 1, 1991, I went to church, and I have never looked back.”
Maraga has called upon people struggling with any form of addiction to pray and seek divine intervention.
“Pray over it, get determined, say, ‘Look, this I have to stop.’ When you pray over it, God answers those prayers instantly, and you will stop,” he said.
