Filmmaker and content creator Abel Mutua has opened up about the final days of his younger brother, Raphael Mbuvi Musyoka, popularly known as Rapho, nearly three years after his death.
Abel became emotional while speaking about Rapho during an appearance on The Kisiangani Podcast, where he detailed the family’s prolonged attempts to help his younger brother overcome addiction and rebuild his life.
Rapho died on December 28, 2023, aged 23. In a 2023 statement following his death, Abel promised to eventually tell his brother’s story, saying he hoped it would help someone facing a similar struggle.
“I’ll tell Rapho’s story because I know it’ll save someone and his death won’t be in vain,” Abel said at the time.
Nearly three years later, he has shared more details about what the family went through before Rapho’s death.
Abel said Rapho, the last-born of eight siblings, had struggled with substance use for an extended period before the family fully understood the seriousness of his situation.
The siblings had supported him financially while he pursued his studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The family eventually noticed changes in Rapho’s behaviour and realised that he was using drugs. The family then tried different approaches to help him, including rehabilitation.
Abel also attempted to give his brother work on his production sets, hoping that employment would provide structure and help him stay away from drugs. However, the arrangement did not last.
Abel said Rapho eventually left the job, while repeated attempts to convince him to attend rehabilitation failed. At one point, Abel gave his brother an ultimatum, telling him that he could either seek treatment or they would stop communicating. Rapho refused.
“He told me, ‘My answer is still the same. We are done because I am not going into rehab,’” Abel recalled.
The siblings later held a family meeting to determine how best to respond to Rapho’s addiction. Abel described the decision they made afterwards as one of the mistakes the family made while trying to help him.
The siblings stopped giving Rapho money, hoping the move would prevent him from using their financial support to fund his drug use.
Instead, Abel said, Rapho’s situation deteriorated. By December 2023, the family had become increasingly concerned about his condition.
Abel recalled confronting his brother about the amount of time he had lost while his former classmates at JKUAT continued with their lives.
“Raph, it has been more than a year. The people you went to school with are moving on. The people you were with at JKUAT are almost graduating. Tell us, has it been worth it?” Abel recalled asking him.
The conversation reportedly lasted several hours. Rapho then sat with his siblings and apologised to each of them.
The family offered to take him back to rehabilitation and support him afterwards. Abel said they were also willing to help him find somewhere to live and return to school or work.
Rapho instead asked the family to leave him with their father for a few more days, saying he would join them after the New Year.
Abel said Rapho later spoke with their father about his addiction and his fear of relapsing. His father allowed him to sleep in another house on the family compound. The following morning, the family realised something was wrong.
According to Abel, his father went to check on Rapho and discovered that he had died. Abel became emotional as he reflected on the loss.
“It was such a big thing. We lost that boy in such a manner that sometimes I just sit like this in disbelief. I still cannot believe that the boy is gone,” he said.
Rapho’s death also exposed the Mutua family to public scrutiny.
“In fact, this is the first time I am talking about this story. When he died, it was a big deal. It was all over the internet. People were wondering, ‘How could Abel have failed Raph?’” he said.
He urged people to avoid judging families dealing with addiction without understanding what happens behind closed doors.
“When you are dealing with someone who has an addiction, the dynamics are so different. This guy is unwell. He is not okay and he is not reasoning like you are. He can do very strange things. If you have never dealt with an addict, do not judge someone,” Abel said.
