Veteran actor Ondiek Nyuka Kwota real name Hiram Mungai has recently shared about a personal struggle that almost led him to destruction, sharing that he battled with alcoholism that led him to betray his wife which took a toll on his family.
The Vioja Mahakami was speaking to Kikuyu media personality Jeff Kuria on his YouTube Show where he narrated his rise to fame, and how he lost his way during the peak of his career, finding himself in the trenches of drunkenness and infidelity.
He was once seen by his fans while inebriated, and they hurled jibes at him, disappointed by his condition, especially since he was a beloved TV character.
“You see you even give the show a bad name. People think you are a joke, “they told him.
He said that his spending was out of control, and often dodged his landlord when it was time to pay rent, using the excuse of salary delays.
“That time the Landlord would come demanding money and I would tell him VOK hasn’t paid us yet. Yes, they had not paid, but you see I was making money but not paying rent. I was using it for fun then I came back home broke,” he recounted.
Ondiek partied hard, touring the country and splurging his hard earned money on liquor and women. He attributed the adulterous life to fame and pressure.
“I misbehaved for so many years. Like say you go to Meru, you make money, then you blow it. Then you go to Mombasa where it was worse.
You find we lived a life here, you have a woman, you go there, another one. You live a very difficult life. Things go wrong. You end up making life difficult for your family, they lack basic needs because you are living life in the fast lane,” he shared.
He was revelling in his fame, but like Icarus, he soared too close to the sun and life eventually brought him back down to reality. His family was broken and he had lost himself in the alcoholism.
“I kept telling God, I dont want this life anymore. My dad was a drunkard, he made life difficult. I prayed to God to take away the spirit of prostitution in me, you may find that it runs in your family, I had told God, dont let it locate me, but it came. It got to a point where I would cry when drunk. So that time came,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to God for giving him a second chance at redemption, acknowledging that he had made many mistakes in his life.
“Today I am alive because of God. I thank God for saving my life. He loved me. I was not a good man,” he noted.
