Nairobi News

In an exclusive and candid interview with Nairobi News, Churchill Show comedian George Njoroge popularly known as Njoro, has shared his harrowing journey of battling depression and addiction while in the limelight.

The US-based comedian, who has been a familiar face on the popular Kenyan comedy show, revealed that his struggles with alcoholism and smoking took a toll on his mental health, leading him into a deep state of depression.

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Reflecting on his challenging journey, the comedian admitted, “There was a time I would get hallucinations after one beer. It was about that time that I had to disappear. I had lost myself completely and in the midst of all that, my dad fell sick.”

He said his dad passed away before he knew he needed help, leaving him more devastated.

“I never knew I was losing it to depression. Money was flowing and even taking care of my dad was not hard. Then separation came in, and my wife dumped me a week before my dad died.”

The comedian said that while he appeared to be riding the wave of success, he was silently battling personal demons that ultimately took a toll on his mental and emotional well-being.

His journey into addiction was not a straightforward one.

Recalling the earlier days of his relationship, he revealed how his wife of 10 years dumped him when he had gone to care for his father.

“Coming back to Nairobi, I did not find her. I had been with her for 10 years. She was three years older than me. The biggest mistake was loving her too much.”

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He said peer pressure affected his downward spiral, leading him to a path he had never anticipated.

He explained his struggle with smoking, “I started smoking without knowing that I had bronchitis. It was not attacking me until I started smoking. I used to smoke 40 cigarettes per day. How I quit, I still do not know how I did it. I am doing two years without cigarettes. I still drink alcohol but not too much.”

He currently lives in the US, where he says he has managed to do so much within the shortest time he has been there.

“In the US, life is very hard, you live alone, and when you are stressed, you have no one to talk to but I do not regret coming here. I have done so much and I am reformed in so many positive ways.”

His voice trailed off as he fondly remembered his father, who had played an instrumental role in his life.

As he reminisced about his father’s guidance, he expressed his deep appreciation, saying, “May his soul rest in peace. He raised me so well, and may his soul rest in peace.”

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