Media personality Kimani Mbugua recently spoke about some of his greatest life lessons as he looked back at his experiences in recent years.
Through a post on TikTok, the former TV host was confident of bouncing back despite the setbacks he has faced, and encouraged others to remain hopeful even in difficult situations.
"No matter how many times you fall, the most important thing is to get yourself back up again… you fall many times but if you keep getting back again and moving forward, nothing can stop you.
“The point is to fail forward. That is one thing I have learnt over the last five or so years while I have been in really trying times. The most important thing is to get up, dust yourself and move forward...As long as you live to fight another day it’s not over," he said.
Earlier this year, Mbugua’s father said his son had been battling mental health issues for over three years and how the situation saddened him.
"[It all went well] until February 2020," Kimani's father recounted. "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 when he came and in the middle of the meeting he stood up and said Dad for four days sijawahi lala (I haven't slept) ulevi (because I'm drunk). I was shocked because we are SDAs (Seventh-day Adventists). It gave me red flags. Kwa basement alikuwa ameacha gari na mlango hakufunga (In the basement he had left his car with the door unlocked).”
This incident was followed by a call from Kimani's girlfriend, further escalating his father's worry.
"When he went home around midnight the girlfriend called me and said Kimani alikuwa anaongea tu (Kimani was just talking nonstop). She made me listen to what he was saying and it kept me worried until today," his father said.
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The situation rapidly deteriorated, leading to hospitalization. Kimani's father described the experience of seeing his son in that state as devastating.
After receiving treatment at Mathari Hospital and a rehabilitation centre in Mombasa, the content creator’s situation improved and in October this year he announced that he was on the path to full recovery.
Mbugua has been sharing messages of hope on his socials and Kenyans have been encouraging him as he finds his feet again.