Peter Onjiri shares how alcohol addiction made friends fear his calls
By William Muthama, September 21, 2026Comedian and actor Peter Onjiri, popularly known as Onjiri the Cricket, has opened up about how alcohol addiction affected his relationships with friends and family as he marks four years of sobriety.
Onjiri shared his reflections on Instagram on Sunday, September 20, 2026, saying he deliberately kept his decision to quit alcohol private because previous attempts had ended in relapse.
Friends feared his calls
Looking back at his struggles with alcohol addiction, Onjiri said some of his friends and family became afraid to answer his calls because they expected him to ask for money.
“Most friends and family were even afraid of picking up my calls coz it was always for an urgent 500, 200, or even 50 bob,” he recalled.
After quitting alcohol, Onjiri said he changed the way he communicated with people around him.
“Instead of calling, I would just send texts asking how they were faring without asking for favours,” he said.
He added that, with time, his friends and family gradually began answering his calls again.
Onjiri said his experience taught him that genuine recovery is shown through actions, not promises.
“When it comes to quitting, actions always speak louder than words,” he said.
The comedian is now marking four years without alcohol, a milestone he described as his “4th birthday sober.”
Onjiri on relationships
Onjiri also reflected on the effect addiction can have on marriages and relationships.
“There are spouses who gave up on their relationships,” he said, adding that he did not blame them because people should not have to put their dreams on hold for someone who does not care about theirs.
He advised people who have quit drinking not to focus too much on trying to bring back relationships that have already ended.
“And when you quit, don’t try so hard to bring them back, just work on yourself,” he said.
Message to families
At the same time, Onjiri acknowledged the family members and spouses who continue to stand by people struggling with addiction.
“To the spouses who never gave up. To the family members who still love through the addiction, knowing that addiction is a disease, may God bless you,” he said.
He encouraged families not to lose hope, saying difficult periods can eventually give way to better days.