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Kimani Mbugua, a former journalist at Citizen TV, has been facing severe mental health challenges for the past four years.
His condition has been a matter of public concern, as his behaviours on social media have alarmed many of his followers.
In an interview with Oga Obinna on May 14, his father provided an update, assuring that Kimani is now in a safe environment, closely watched by family and neighbours.
READ: I was robbed this morning while live on TikTok – Kimani Mbugua appeals for help
Securing Kimani's safety
According to his father, Kimani is currently residing in an apartment in Makongeni Phase 10, Thika, a decision made to keep him close to family members who could watch over him.
“At the moment he's still out of balance. I had to make sure he's close to family members. The cousins are all located in the same facility. And even the neighbors there are taking care of him,” his father explained.
"This arrangement also includes safety measures to prevent self-harm, stating, “Also the place is safe because he's under key and lock. In case he hypes, he cannot harm himself and there's accessibility to him by the family members.”
Celebrating Kimani Mbugua's achievements
Despite the current challenges, Kimani’s father fondly recalls his son’s brighter days, emphasising his academic and professional successes.
“Kimani turned 28 this year. He’s the firstborn... He went to a village nursery school, then we took him to private schools where he did well. He secured a place at Njiiri school, then we relocated him to one of our church schools in Nairobi, Karura. He scooped an A,” he proudly shared.
Kimani chose journalism over law against his father’s initial wishes, a decision that paid off when he was noticed by influential figures in the media industry like Churchill and Larry Madowo.
His career was flourishing, and he was a supportive figure to his siblings and mother until his mental health began to decline.
READ: In his own words, how Kimani Mbugua's mental health struggles began
The onset of Kimani Mbugua's mental condition
The journey into Kimani’s mental health issues began in February 2020. His father recalls the day it became apparent that something was seriously wrong.
During a board meeting, Kimani unexpectedly confessed to having been under the influence for days, something his father had never seen him take.
"All went well until February 2020. I was in Westlands. I have a Consultancy company in which he's also a director. He's the MD. We were in the boardroom he came and in the middle of the meeting he stood up and said dad for four days sijawahi isha ulevi. I was shocked because we are SDAs. It gave me a redflags. Kwa basement alikuwa ameacha gari na mlango hakufunga ," he said
This incident led to the discovery of his condition after his girlfriend reported erratic behaviour.
"When he went home around midnight the girlfriend called me and said Kimani alikuwa anaongea tu. She made me listen to what he was saying and it kept me worried until today," he said
Kimani’s condition worsened rapidly, leading to hospitalisation where he was restrained and disoriented, a moment his father described as seeing 'darkness during daytime.'
"The girlfriend took him to hospital. I went nikapata amefungwa kamba mkono and anaongea tu. Ilinivunja moyo hadi wa leo. When he saw me he even called me by my real names. That is when i saw darkness during day time," he said.
Further investigations by revealed that Kimani had been exposed to harmful substances at a birthday party, which exacerbated his mental health issues.
"I followed up to know what had happened before the day I saw him. He had a bash. Ilikuwa birthday yake and it was big. the sister took his phone akapitia akaona picha alikuwa anaanguka akitapika na kuna wasichanna wanampiga. My daughter said aliona kwa glass yake kuna white substances zinaekwa. Na anaambiwa kunywa na anatapika na anaanguka. So I told my daughter if we could consolidate the phone but how it got lost we dont know .We wanted evidence that was there.
"He did a toxology and it was discovered there was Marijuana and other stuffs. I did my investigations and I found out most of his friends were on those things. So I concluded my son was spiked. And the effect, hard drugs," he narrated.
READ: Kimani Mbugua offers apology, explains his recent activities that alarmed fans
Why Kimani Mbugua's family sold his car
Asked about why his son Kimani labeled him as 'wanted' on social media, accusing him of stealing and selling his car, the father explained that it occurred after another distressing episode.
Kimani experienced a relapse and was again exposed to harmful substances. "In 2020, about six months after the first incident, he was at ABC Place and the next morning, his then-fiancé reported that Kimani appeared just as he had during the first episode," his father recounted.
As Kimani's condition worsened, the family decided to admit him to Chiromo for urgent care. The medical expenses quickly accumulated. "The bills began to climb, and we faced a total of almost Sh600,000 with Sh200,000 needed in cash," he added.
In response to the escalating costs, Kimani himself suggested a desperate solution. "Kimani called me and asked me to take his logbook and sell his car to cover the expenses. It was his idea to ensure his treatment could continue," his father clarified.