Abel Mutua breaks down recalling brother Rapho’s final years

Abel Mutua broke down during a podcast interview as he recalled the final years of his younger brother, Raphael Mbuvi Musyoka, popularly known as Rapho.

Speaking on The Kisiangani Podcast, Abel described the last period of Rapho’s life, including the family’s efforts to support him after they became concerned about his struggles with substance abuse.

The emotional interview has since circulated widely online, renewing conversations about the loss that affected Abel’s family and Kenya’s content-creation community.

Rapho’s education and family support

Rapho was a student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and was the youngest of eight siblings.

According to Abel, six of the siblings were employed and regularly contributed money towards Rapho’s upkeep and education.

He recalled that the siblings would each contribute whatever they could afford, with some sending KSh2,000 and others KSh1,000.

“So at the end of the month huyu kijana alikuwa ako in the chedas,” Abel recalled.

The situation changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when universities were closed and students were forced to remain at home.

Rapho initially spent more time with the family, but Abel said his visits gradually became less frequent.

“So him he just chills in the house….. akiboeka amacome anatuvisit… then tukaanza kuona visits zinapungua,” he said.

Family noticed something was wrong

Abel recalled one afternoon in 2021 when Rapho visited the family home.

After sitting opposite his younger brother, Abel said he later asked another sibling, who was close to Rapho in age, whether he had noticed anything unusual.

According to Abel, the sibling had already looked into the matter and informed him that Rapho was struggling with substance use.

“Hii time amebangaiza… hapa home manze wanapiga mihadarati,” Abel recalled his brother telling him.

When Abel asked who was involved, he was reportedly told:

“Na hawa maboy anastay nao.”

Abel said the family later realised that Rapho had been battling addiction for about two years.

The family sought professional assistance and considered taking him back to rehabilitation. They also offered to help him secure accommodation as part of efforts to support his recovery.

Family cut off financial support

Abel said the family later made what he now considers a major mistake: holding a meeting where they decided to stop financially supporting Rapho.

“Makosa big tulifanya ni kuitana kikao…” Abel said.

According to him, the decision marked the beginning of what he described as a downward spiral in Rapho’s life.

“It was a downward spiral,” he said.

Abel said Rapho declined the rehabilitation option despite the family’s willingness to help him return to treatment.

He also claimed that after the family stopped providing money, Rapho began seeking financial assistance elsewhere.

“Si anajua ni janjez …anajua ananeed hii doo alikuwa anajua hapa kwa familia imekataa…anaenda kwa random person…” Abel recalled.

His account suggested that the family’s decision to cut off financial support did not resolve the underlying problem and instead created another set of difficulties.

Rapho’s death and burial

Abel announced Rapho’s death without publicly disclosing its cause at the time.

He later shared an image of a police vehicle transporting the body and appealed for financial assistance towards the burial through an M-Pesa till number.

The appeal attracted mixed reactions online, with some people questioning the request while others defended Abel and the family.

Rapho was eventually buried in Machakos County on January 5, 2024.