This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
June 30, 2020, marked a turning point for media personality Fareed Kimani as he opened up about his struggle with substance abuse.
Speaking on Engage Talks, Kimani revealed that his ex-wife made the best decision of her life by leaving him due to his drug addiction, which had caused her immense pain.
Kimani's wife walked out on him with their two children in 2018 while he was undergoing rehab in South Africa, a decision she had promised him would be followed by her return home once he completed the program.
However, on March 18, 2018, Kimani's wife took their kids and left, a day after he had reached the 18th day of his 28-day rehab program.
"It was a day where they called it a recovery day, they said it's called 'letting go and letting God'. It's a moment in your recovery where everything kind of starts to make sense," Kimani narrated.
But little did he know, his wife had already left with their children, a decision that broke him.
Kimani was angry and wanted to leave the rehab center, but after hours of counseling, he decided to stay and finish his sessions.
He eventually accepted the situation and moved on, pointing out that perhaps it was a good decision for his ex-wife to leave him.
Kimani got hooked on drugs and alcohol while studying abroad at the University of Florida and continued his lifestyle after returning to Kenya in 2000.
It wasn't until 2016 that his family and close relatives began to shun him, prompting him to seek help.
Since then, Kimani has remained clean for almost two years.
