Former TV presenter Kimani Mbugua appeals for help, says he is homeless

 Taking to his Instagram account, Kimani uploaded a clip, where he spoke to followers about his current situation [Courtesy, Instagram]

Former TV presenter Kimani Mbugua has said that he is homeless, and is asking for help from fans and well-wishers.

The 27-year-old was known for his youthful approach to news before his media career came to an end in 2020.

Taking to his Instagram account, Kimani uploaded a clip, where he spoke to followers about his current situation.

“Hi guys, Kimani Mbugua here former star of TV. It feels so bad to say that right now because I am not there anymore. But niko kwa shida, and I need your help,” Kimani said on the video, which he captioned ‘I’m in lots of problems please help’.

He added: “Kama ningekua nimekufa, watu wangekua wanasema ooh kimani alikua hivi ama hivi. I’m not going to suffer in silence. At the same time, sitaki kuonyeshana ni kama nachangiwa pesa ya ku fanya something bad.”

The former presenter then narrated his struggle with mental illness and substance abuse.

“I fell ill in 2021, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and since then my life fell apart. I have lost so many things, I have lost so many friends in the journey. People got tired of me and I’m in a position where most people are not willing to help because they said that they are tired.”

He added: “I got out of hospital literally last week, and I feel my mind has come back to normal and I don’t want to go back to the place where I used to be. So… I’m homeless. I have my bag and I am out, the people who I was living with said they couldn’t host me for any longer and asked me to look for an alternative.”

Last year, Kimani told The Standard Entertainment about his 54-day stay at a mental hospital in an exclusive interview, and at the time, he was in recovery.

“First, I was taken to Avenue Hospital in Parklands, then I went to a rehab centre called Bustani. Then Chiromo Lane Medical Centre, a rehab/mental health centre. Eventually, I had to go to Mathari. My parents had done everything they could - they had taken me to the Kenyatta National Hospital and the doctor recommended I go to Mathari,” he said at the time.

 Kimani Mbugua appeals for help [Courtesy, Instagram]

“I did not even know where we were, what we were doing there or anything that was happening. It did not occur to me that we were in Mathari - I was not aware of my environment. I thought, this looks like a hospital, but who is sick?”

In the interview, he talked about depression, which he had battled with from his younger days in university. He also said that the psychosis surfaced after he experimented with marijuana at the height of his success.

“I was 19. I remember walking into Nation and realising my life had changed. That is how I started in radio. I worked there for almost three years and then I went to Royal media - I got to work for Citizen, Inooro and Hot 96,” Kimani said.

“At some point, I was working for two TV stations at the same time.”

As Kimani concluded his Saturday evening plea, he told followers that he has business ideas and just needs a partner to help with funding.

“I came here to look for someone else who could host me and I didn’t find them. But I just need your help. Please, if you can help me, I have a business plan,” he said, showcasing a brown envelope with documents inside.

“This is my business plan which I managed to put together in the last one week when I was out of hospital, and I have my first proposal for a client. All I need is a business partner who is serious who is going to bring in money and have my ideas take off.”

Kimani then said that he does not own a phone, and had borrowed one from an onlooker just to upload the clip on social media.

“If you are willing to hear about what I have, it’s a creative agency that I want to form and work with creatives. I haven’t had a job in the last two years. I’ve just been wandering and being hosted by different people. Of course they get tired and that’s allowed,” he said, adding, “If you are interested in the business idea, or if you want to host me. I need a laptop and Wi-Fi and if you can do that please help me.”