Why Brother to Bogonko Bosire has killed himself

The family of missing blogger Bogonko Bosire has suffered another blow after the death of Bogonko’s younger brother.

Joshua Mangwari Bosire, 37, took his own life last Monday after battling depression for a while, the family confirmed to the media.

Winfred Nyang’anyi Bosire, the deceased’s sister, told this publication that Joshua took poison after threatening to take his own life for a while.

“Joshua was depressed, he was also battling alcoholism which came as a result of Bogonko’s mysterious disappearance,” said Winfred.

Joshua lived with Bogonko in the same apartment in South B from 2009 until the latter’s disappearance in 2013.

Bogonko also hosted Winfred for some time before she moved out to rent her own house.

Joshua moved back home to help take care of their ailing father after Bogonko’s disappearance. He was reportedly overwhelmed as a caretaker.

Bogonko’s dad is said to have slipped into depression and is now schizophrenic after searching for Bogonko in vain. Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Bogonko’s mum is hypertensive. The family has been calling on the government to revive investigations into Bogonko’s disappearance for years.

The deceased’s remains are preserved at the Molo District Hospital as burial arrangements continue.

He will be laid to rest on Thursday, January 20.

Bogonko, considered a genius journalist in Kenya has been missing for close to nine years, with several conspiracy theories being coined to explain his disappearance.

He was one of the elite journalists turned blogger in the wake of the 2013 general elections, and played a key role in President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto’s online campaigns.

Bogonko’s disappearance coincided with the September 2013 West Gate terror attack.

Bogonko’s family told Nation last year that former State House operative Dennis Itumbi knows something about Bogonko’s disappearance since they were close friends from their days at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).

Itumbi, however, maintains that he knows nothing about Bogonko’s whereabouts. He told Nation last year that he might be dead.

According to Itumbi, the fact that Bosire’s blog, The Jackal News, did not cover the attack was suggestive that he was among the 68 that were felled by terrorist bullets.

Itumbi, in a Facebook post, said that he remained so close to Bosire until he disappeared.

“Then Westgate happened. We could not understand how Jackal could be silent on such a major issue and our friend was nowhere to be seen. Our friend was nowhere to be seen,” said Itumbi.