Wamuzi News Ke
The media world is in shock after reports have emerged that former Citizen TV journalist Kimani Mbugua has died — a grim end to a public journey marked by mental health struggles, rehab, and heartbreaking scenes of deterioration.
The news arrives amid renewed questions about the system’s failure to protect vulnerable public figures.
From Recovery to Ruin — The Final Act.
Sources close to the late journalist say Mbugua passed away quietly in recent days. Confirmation is still pending from medical and family authorities, but the timing is all the more tragic given that he had only recently left rehabilitation.
His post‐rehab period, which many hoped would mark a turning point, instead spiraled into public distress and visible decline.In recent months, Mbugua had been spotted wandering in Thika, clutching and collecting dirt, unkempt and anguished.
Videos circulating online showed him in confusion, appearing lost and vulnerable — a stark contrast to his earlier role as a respected television journalist. These images shocked many, raising urgent debates about mental health support, neglect, and the fragility of rehabilitation promises.
A Public Life Crushed by Private Battles.
Mbugua was once a familiar face on Kenyan screens. His struggles, however, dated back several years. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and battled substance abuse, including alcohol and marijuana, which reportedly aggravated his condition.
In 2024, concerned friends and public figures — including former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko — intervened to admit him to a rehab facility in Mombasa. He remained there for months, only to be discharged near the end of that year. He returned home hopeful, but that hope was short-lived. Instead of stabilization, his post-rehab trajectory rapidly deteriorated.
His public appearances, once dignified and professional, gave way to haunting scenes on the streets of Thika, where he was seen wandering and collecting dirt — a potent visual of a man sinking into despair.
National Outcry and Questions of Responsibility.
News of Mbugua’s death has triggered an outpouring of grief online and among journalistic circles. Colleagues, former editors, and media organizations are demanding accountability — for how someone once in the public eye can die unnoticed, homeless, and in despair.
Key questions now loom large:Who was overseeing his care after rehab?Why was there no safety net to monitor a known mental health case?How did a journalist, once supported by a network of well-connected individuals, fall off the radar?
Will institutions — media houses, rehab centers, government mental health agencies — finally respond with means of protection for vulnerable personalities? Many callers to talk shows and social media commentators are calling this “the death of a promise” — the promise that recovery, once begun, would not end in tragedy.
