I once came across one of those inspirational stickers placed in easily visible spots all over matatus.This particular one read 'God gives the toughest battles to his toughest soldiers'.
If true, this places former Churchill Show comedian Odhuol Odhuol among one of the toughest people alive.
The rib cracker's journey makes for the sort of story that sounds more fiction than the truth.
In a tell-all media interview in December 2019 just a month after he had finished taking his TB medication for a mandatory 6-month-period, the budding comedian gave a candid glimpse into his troubled life away from the spotlight.
"I woke up one day and I simply couldn't move. I called my friend Tumbili and asked for his help. I tried to will myself to moving my legs but I just couldn't," he explained.
"My neighbour, Karis (fellow Churchill Show comedian) came over and together with my wife and Butita, they rushed me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with tuberculosis," he added.
That 6-month period proved to be the toughest of his entire life, as he was forced to survive on scraps.
His financial situation got so bad that at times, he couldn't afford to feed his family. Many of his fans tried to send whatever they could but he was needy for so long that even his closest friends just dropped off along the way.
"When you get into trouble, real trouble, you will lose many friends. I lost a lot of friends I considered as close confidants, including some of my fellow comedians, but that's in the past," a regretful Othuol stated.
During this time, he realized how important his fans were to his life, as they kept him fed and strong.
"Sometimes I was actually surprised when I got messages that read 'you have received Ksh 500 from so and so. When I called them wanting to find out if it was a wrong number, I was shocked to find a fan on the other end wishing me well," he recounted.
The comedian also opened up on his battle with alcoholism, which got so bad that he used to trade-in household items such as his gas cylinder, TV and even his phone.
"It was a tough bad life. It was a very bad disease because you totally lose your self-respect. I used to wake up at 4 a.m. to go and look for those cheap brands of liquor," he stated.
He then confessed to having gotten to a point where he felt like he couldn't perform on Churchill Show while sober.
This forced him to constantly sneak backstage and feed his addiction in secrecy away from his fellow comedians.
However, hitting rock bottom during his illness forced him to re-think his entire life and resolved to quit alcohol, choosing to focus on his personal wellness.
The energetic comedian and Auntie Boss star vowed to make a comeback in February 2020, better, wiser and stronger.
