Former Citizen TV and NTV journalist Kimani Mbugua has died.
He reportedly died on the night of Tuesday, October 14, 2025. The cause of death is yet to be revealed.
He had been battling mental health issues and had been in and out of rehabilitation centres.
Kimani, who died at 29, had been struggling with bipolar disorder in recent months.
He joined Nation Media Group at 19 as a presenter at Nation FM and NTV before later joining Citizen TV as a TV presenter.
On March 31, Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko took Mbugua to a rehabilitation center. This was the second time he was taken to a rehabilitation centre.
This followed reports Mbugua, who was also struggling with substance abuse, had relapsed and was spotted roaming Thika Town streets.
Mbugua had released a video begging for help, prompting Sonko’s intervention.
"Following reports that Kimani Mbugua has relapsed and gone back to the streets, today, I dispatched a team to locate him. He was found in Makongeni estate, Thika, Kiambu county," Sonko wrote on March 31.
On May 16, 2024, Media Personality Oga Obinna shared that he, alongside Mbugua's father and a few friends, had taken him to rehab at Mathari Hospital.
"We passed by Mathare and are now waiting for instructions from Dad and Mum, then we will proceed. We will give the final update by evening," Obinna indicated.
The intervention came days after Mbugua’s father, during an interview carried by Obina, said that his son was suffering from bipolar disorder and went ahead to apologise to those who had been abused by his son through his online videos.
