Chrispus Kimaru, better known on his social accounts as Chris Kim Recovery, shared his journey of battling alcohol addiction to recovery.
He recalled the challenges he faced, including being dismissed from a top position at Safaricom after going out to purchase beer worth Sh. 40.
In a TikTok video, Chris Kim explained that on the unfortunate day, he was scheduled to work a night shift at Safaricom. He was broke at the time, hadn’t had a meal that day and was burdened by guilt over his patterns of alcohol consumption.
“I used to drink a lot, so that day, I had taken a walk and was very hungry; I was just telling God to help me get food as I had not eaten that day,” he stated.
As the day progressed, Chris ran into his ex-girlfriend who lent him Sh. 100 for food. With this money, he proceeded to buy sukumawiki, tomatoes, and dhania. After this modest shopping, he was left with a mere Sh. 40 in his pockets.
Before heading home to cook dinner in preparation for his night shift, Chris decided to visit a local pub in Pipeline and greet his drinking buddies. He was convinced that with the little grocery shopping he had done, there was no chance he would take even a sip of alcohol.
“I decided to go inside a local pub called Kwa Irungu and say hi to friends. Each glass of beer cost Sh. 25,” he narrated.
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Little did he know that he would become so drunk that night. The moment he set foot in the pub, people began buying alcohol for him, and before he could realize it, it was 3 am.
By this time, he had already missed his work shift, and his manager was disappointed, searching everywhere for him.
“A call centre manager had tried calling me. I had gone as far as where the brothel was to go and ask the ladies to sleep with me on credit. I entered the house at 4 am and sold my sofa to my neighbour in the morning,” Chris added.
“They really looked for me, asked my sister Angela, but I was nowhere to be seen. The termination letter was given to my sister.”
This incident marked the final blow to his career at Safaricom. His salary was paid in full, and he never returned to the workplace.
“A good job, good money, bonuses, best phones, insurance, credit worth Sh. 3,000 monthly…it was all gone,” he said in an interview with Lynn Ngugi.
Chris hinted at having some regrets over the direction his life took, seeing his former colleagues now working as top managers. However, he believes that God had a greater purpose in allowing his life to unfold the way it did.
“My colleagues are now managers, but I always say God had a purpose. If I had stayed there I would have drunk myself to death and wouldn’t have helped other people in rehab.”
“It was a big loss, my family was disappointed.”
Chris advises those who excessively indulge in alcohol to first accept their situation and stop the blame game. Thereafter they should seek help from people who have beaten the menace and never backslidden. Chris has now gone 6 years without drinking