It has been nearly six months since veteran radio personality Alex Mwakideu quit alcohol.
Speaking during a recent television interview, the Milele FM radio presenter said he stopped drinking in honour of his mother who passed away last year.
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“Nilikuwa nakata sana maji. Nilikuwa nanywa, si haba. Lakini mamangu alikuwa ananiambia sana, ‘wewe wacha tu maana itakusaidia nini hii pombe? Na si yeye tu hata baba yangu mzazi pia alikuwa ananiambia. Nakumbuka siku moja aliniambia, mazuri ni mengi duniani mabaya wayatafutiani?” he narrated.
Mwakideu said that before he quit, he would down a whole bottle of expensive whiskey that cost him up to Sh11,000.
“Mimi nilikuwa napenda whisky sana, na chupa moja ile nilikuwa naweza nunua ilikuwa kama elfu nane ivi kwa wines and spirits na wakati nilikuwa naacha pombe nilikuwa nanywa chupa mzima mimi. Napiga whisky chupa mzima na kwa bar ilikuwa kama Elfu Kumi na Moja kupanda,” he added.
Mwakideu went on: “Lakini ananiambia babangu hii ni elfu kumi na moja, hii pakiti ya maziwa ni shilling hamsini. Sasa hii inakuongezea nini? Hii inakupa usingizi mwingi, nyumbani haurudi mapema, watoto wako huwaoni, unaweza kosana na mke wako umelala nje, unaweza pata ajali. Huku kwingine, afya bora zaidi, pesa kidogo…. Alikuwa ananitolea hii mfano kila siku nasema siku moja nitawacha.”
He added: “Sasa nilikuwa nimeweka ahadi kuwa siku moja nitaiwacha na mamangu ataona afurahi lakini sasa yeye alitangulia mbele kabla niache. Lakini natumani kule aliko anafurahia kwa sasabu niliacha, na zile zote zilikuwa nyumbani nikapeana zote kwa wale ambao bado wanatumia. Sasa hivi naelekea mwezi wa sita.”
On reports that he charged Sh40,000 as entrance free for his 40th birthday party, Mwakideu said it was just a joke by his friends.
“Si kweli. Mimi sikupost ile poster. Ni marafiki zangu wa karibu. Waliamua, wakaanza na wakapost na wakaenda na iyo story kabisa. Mimi nilikuwa Amboseli na familia yangu yote kwenda kusherehekea birthday ya miaka arobaini kule msituni,” he said.
“Tukakaa kule mpaka tukamaliza wikendi tukarudi nyumbani. Mimi ni mtu wa familia sana. Sasa ile ilikuwa tu inaendelea, naiona mtandaoni mimi mpaka watu wanaandika, mablogger nini. Mimi nilikwa naona hadisi mtandaoni lakini kusema ukweli hakukuwa na party yoyote kama iyo. Wala siwezi kufanya party ya watu kuingia na shilingi elfu arobaini jamani, siezi.”
