Fans of the beloved Kenyan TV show Machachari have been left emotional after the actress who played Mama Stella, known online as Cindy, posted a deeply personal TikTok confessing her battle with alcohol addiction and how she eventually found her way out.
In the selfie-style video filmed indoors, Cindy spoke candidly and emotionally directly to the camera, peeling back the curtain on a chapter of her life that many of her fans had no idea about.
How Machachari contributed to Cindy’s addiction
Cindy explained that her drinking started out innocently enough as a social activity, the kind of disciplined Friday-after-work outing shared with friends.
But things changed when she landed her role on Machachari. Fame brought a new circle of fans and a faster lifestyle, and what had once been an occasional drink gradually became something she could no longer control.
She described reaching a point where she was drinking from Monday through to Monday, missing meals, losing sleep and neglecting her responsibilities.
“Ulianza na starehe. Ulianza kukunywa starehe. Ikafika mahali sasa ni wewe iyo starehe inakunywa,” she said, meaning: it started as fun, but eventually the fun was consuming her.
She also opened up about how addiction had dragged her into dishonesty, destroyed meaningful relationships and begun eating away at her mental health.
She described addiction as a disease that sneaks up on a person without them realising, noting that by the time people around her tried to flag the problem, she would shut them down and become defensive.
Cindy said she is now approaching four years of sobriety, with her turning point coming on December 9. She encouraged anyone struggling with a loved one in addiction not to abandon them, framing it as an illness rather than a character flaw.
She also touched on the cost of rehabilitation, noting that a mandatory three-month programme starts at around 100,000 Kenyan shillings, a figure that puts recovery out of reach for many.
She credited God for pulling her through and promised a follow-up video detailing her full salvation journey.
@cindy39959♬ original sound – Cindy Machachari
Fans flooded the comments with support and nostalgia: Here are some of the reactions from social media users:
@Marcus_vado said:
“Mama Stella 🩷 kwani haukua unaact walahi.”
@KennyBoss_KE said:
“Ulitujengea life tukiwa waless way back then. 🔥🔥”
@PETER-021 said:
“5 years now recovery nilikua like 10 years daily drunker officer.”
@Megan said:
“You really made our nights awesome izo enzi tukiwa watoi machachari….nice seeing you again. 🥰”
@bessiebkayKE said:
“Mimi if I take alcohol Naamka na depression… it’s a trigger.”
