Content creator Mike Muchiri, now known as Ziya Africa, has offered new clarity on his recent rebrand and months-long disappearance from the public eye.
Speaking on Mic Cheque Podcast, Muchiri outlined the circumstances that led to his break from content creation, his struggle with depression and the reasons behind adopting a new identity.
Muchiri confirmed that he went through what he described as his first major depressive episode earlier in the year and the experience came with a complete shutdown of his creative work and social life.
He revealed that he withdrew entirely, stopped posting content, turned off his old phone line and restricted communication to only a few people in his close circle.
According to him, the period was marked by long stretches of isolation where he avoided leaving the house citinglack of emotional capacity to interact with anyone outside his immediate family, and the silence allowed him to confront issues he had been carrying privately.
While he described the period as difficult, Muchiri also said it forced a moment of clarity. He noted that the episode prompted him to reassess his life and identity, referring to it as both “painful” and “transformative.”
Muchiri used the interview to explain how the breakdown influenced his shift from the “Mike Muchiri” identity to Ziya Africa.
He said the emotional and mental strain made it unsustainable to continue performing as the version of himself that audiences knew. The result was what he called a necessary “rebirth.”
Muchiri added that the rebrand had been on his mind for some time, but the depressive episode accelerated the process.
He said he needed to step back and “peel back layers” before reintroducing himself as Ziya, a name he chose because it symbolises light.
Addressing the mass deletion of his past content, Muchiri told Mic Cheque that the move was intentional and symbolic.
He said clearing his social media pages was a way to close off an old chapter before stepping into a new creative and personal direction.
He acknowledged that removing the ‘Mike Muchiri’ material — including his popular comedic skits — was a significant risk, but said he prioritised authenticity over online metrics.
Muchiri noted that family support was essential during his time away from the public.
He said his siblings regularly checked on him, sent food and maintained communication even when he avoided interactions with everyone else.
He emphasised that they were the only people who had steady access to him during his lowest moments.
He credited their involvement for helping him navigate the period and gradually rebuild the structure he needed to return to public life.
On the podcast, Muchiri clarified that the rebrand to Ziya Africa was not a publicity strategy. Instead, he framed it as a personal decision tied to mental health, self-realignment and the need to shed an identity that no longer reflected who he was becoming.
He maintained that Ziya represents a broader, more grounded version of himself, extending beyond comedy to include creativity, spirituality and civic engagement.
With the rebrand now public, Muchiri told Mic Cheque that he is slowly reentering the creative space under the Ziya identity. He said the new phase will focus on purposeful content, self-expression and work that aligns with his current outlook.