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‘Alcohol broke my relationships’ – Onjiri opens up about addiction and fame pressure
02nd June, 2026 01:40 PM
Kenyan comedian and actor Onjiri, popularly known as Onjiri the Cricket, has opened up about his painful 20-year struggle with alcohol addiction, revealing how drinking nearly destroyed his life, health, and relationships.
Speaking during an interview on the Over 1M Podcast on Monday, June 1, 2026, he said that what started as a simple early experience slowly grew into a habit that followed him into adulthood, later mixing with the demands of the entertainment world.
He also opened up about the toll it took on his personal life, finances, and relationships before he reached a point of reconsideration and began working on change.
His childhood
He went back to his younger years, noting that his first experience with alcohol happened much earlier than many would expect. “I took my first drink when I was in Class 5. It started as childhood curiosity, but by the time I was growing up, it was already a habit.”
What began as curiosity, he said, quietly settled into his routine as he got older, without him fully realising how much it would later influence his path.
Industry environment and expectations
As his career in comedy developed, he pointed out that the space around him made it harder to step away. Alcohol, he said, was frequently present in professional gatherings and social settings tied to work. It slowly became something he leaned on when pressure built up.
“In the entertainment industry, alcohol is everywhere. You use it to cope with the pressure, the stress, and the expectations of the public,” he said
He also touched on the unseen emotional strain that comes with being in the public eye, where audiences often expect constant joy. “People expect you to always be the funny, happy guy they see on screen, even when you are broken inside,” he stated.
His losses
He went on to recount a phase where things started falling apart in several areas of his life. The effects, he said, were both emotional and financial, affecting what he had worked for over time. “It got to a point where I was literally staring at death.”
He further admitted the scale of what he lost during that period. “I lost millions of shillings, I lost properties, and I ruined valuable relationships.”
He described alcohol dependence as a gradual process that quietly eats away at a person before the damage becomes visible. “Alcoholism is the slowest, easiest way to destroy a human being.”
Acceptance and rebuilding
According to him, change began when he stopped denying the reality of his situation and chose to face it directly. “The battle doesn’t start until you stop lying to yourself.”
From that moment, he said, he began taking steps toward recovery and rebuilding different parts of his life with a clearer mindset.
