Criminal lawyer Cliff Ombeta has divulged that studying law was never been his dream while growing up, but he picked up the profession along the way.
In an exclusive interview with the Star, Ombeta said he wanted to be either an army or police officer, before stumbling on a novel that motivated him to pursue law.
He said in the book titled "Other Side of Me", he was impressed by how one character represented a mafia member in court, pushing him into emulating her.
"Growing up, I really admired men in uniform. I wanted to be in the army or the police. But while in Form 2, I read a novel titled The Other Side of Me by Sydney Sheldon. In the novel was a lady, Jennifer Parker, who was a lawyer. I liked how she handled cases for Michael Morreti, the Mafia guy, and that's when I knew I wanted to become a lawyer," he says.
Born and raised in South B, Nairobi, Ombeta said he never had to struggle during childhood, and in his education life, as his parents availed everything for him.
He also divulged that he has only one sibling, after their two brothers died, one while studying in India, and the other while serving in the US Navy.
Ombeta said challenging and pushing himself is what keeps him going, hence his involvement in some of the toughest cases in the country.
"I like challenges. I see a case as a difficult or complicated situation and it's like a puzzle that I want to unfold. That makes me wake up and think," he said.