Heartbreaking story of why Kennedy Rapudo's dad took his own life

Businessman Kennedy Rapudo recently shared his emotional journey through grief and loss, revealing how his challenging past has shaped the father and partner he is today.

The father of three detailed how the absence of his father and the deaths of key family members deeply affected his life.

Growing up without father

In a conversation with Dr Ofweneke, Rapudo recounted how his parents separated when he was just six years old, leading to a strained relationship with his father.

He explained how attending school events without his father impacted his psychological well-being.

If you're a boy you know you look up to your father so much when in school and then parents have to come and you don't see your dad you see other kids with their Dads it really really messes up with their psychology yes so yes it did affect me until up to some time when I was now in the upper primary class 6

Rapudo later reconnected with his father in high school after his mother's passing. However, the reunion was bittersweet.

The separation happened when i was six years old, and then i grew up without him. We later on met now when I was in high school and to be honest I felt betrayed. He tried to apologise but I was like, 'this guy was alive all those years. He could have looked for me but he never did.

So when I met him when I was now in form two already my mom had passed on so even me meeting him, it didn't change anything. I was like this guy you've been my dad all along yet you never existed how come you never looked for me?

Unfortunately, their time together was brief, as his father died by suicide shortly after their reunion.

And unfortunately he passed on before I forgave him so we never got to make that peace. We met briefly for like a few days and had a conversation. I went back to school because I was schooling in a a school in Migori County and then there were no phone calls so he passed on.

I didn't have a phone so they could not let we know until now after after we had closed school that's when I knew that he had actually passed. I never attended the funeral but later on I I managed to visit the grave. I did not grieve, or cry because I felt there was nothing to grieve about.

Coping with family losses

The deaths of his parents left a void, but it was the passing of his brother that broke him.

I'm someone who has learned to know how to cope up with pain CU my mom died right before he died um I I never accepted it for a long time and then after some time my dad died and it was a different kind of death because it was suicide for him cuz he was dealing with so much that he was not able to explain to me.

But now when my brother died years later then I think that's when it caught up with me. I'm this guy who's sort of a g like, but for my brother it was very very difficult to be intact and it really broke me and that's when I opened up and accepted what had happened in the in the past and it is what it is.

He also revealed that his only surviving maternal relative is his elder sister, whom he was separated from after their mother’s death.mHowever, his relationship with paternal relatives remains strained.

I had to go and look for for greener pastures by then she was a kid she she could not help me she was living with a Grandma at home. We communicate on phone as much as possible. She is the only surviving member from my the maternal side paternal sides there's so many relatives but you know it is what it is.

Life lessons & fatherhood

Despite the pain, Rapudo said his experiences motivated him to push himself and provide a better life for his children.

I've learned to work hard I know what poverty is at the same time I know what wealth is so I've been in both ends.

One of the most important lessons he has carried from his past is the importance of being present for his children.

One thing that I learned I said I will always try to be present in the lives of my children no matter what happens whether we separated or not I always want to be a present father cuz I know what an absent father really means in the lives of the children

Blended family with Amber Ray

Rapudo is currently in a relationship with businesswoman Faith Makau, popularly known as Amber Ray. Together, they have a blended family of four children—one from Amber’s previous marriage, two from Rapudo’s past relationships, and one child they share.

Their commitment to building a stable and loving home for their children is an evidence of Rapudo's resolve to break the cycle of absent fatherhood and ensure his children experience the love and stability he longed for growing up.