Kenyan comedian George Njoroge, popularly known as Njoro the comedian, narrated his fall from grace, revealing how he wasted most of his earnings on alcohol.
At the height of his flourishing career in comedy, Njoro blew close to Sh4 million on partying. He said he had landed three gigs in the US which earned him Sh1.3 million each.
“It was party after party for me. I had so much money at the time and I did not think it would ever run out. Hence, I blew it all and in no time, I was broke,” he told Radio Jambo presenter Massawe Japanni.
And although he spent some of the money on his family, Njoro said he regrets that he did not use his earnings to secure assets.
The funnyman eventually fell into alcoholism and depression and he would get suicidal or violent to a point of forcing his wife to hide the knives in their house.
“On numerous occasions, I tried to commit suicide by unsuccessfully throwing myself off an escarpment and taking poison. Every time I went through such a moment, my wife would call my parents and this behaviour would worry them a lot,” he narrated.
Njoro has since turned a corner after spending three months in rehab courtesy of Kenyans of goodwill. He has also landed two media jobs at Flamingo Radio and KTN News.
He appreciated the kindness shown to him and vowed to manage his finances better.
“I feel blessed. The situation was difficult but I managed to pull through. If God intervenes in your life, then you don’t have to struggle or lose hope. My life changed and I am now managing my finances better. I had even separated with my wife and children due to depression, but we have now reconciled,” he noted.
The comedian also spared some advice for colleagues suffering from depression, saying: “This celebrity life comes and ends just as abruptly, so be careful. Also for the entertainers, it is okay to speak so that you can get help. Don’t act strong and end up suffering. But above all let’s stop being lazy.”
