Janet Mbugua explains why August feels so heavy, from loss to Kenya’s election trauma
By Katemarthason Okudo, August 30, 2026Kenyan media personality Janet Mbugua has opened up about why August can feel like a heavy month, linking the feeling to loss, painful historical events and the memories surrounding Kenya’s elections.
In a post shared on Sunday, August 30, 2026, Janet reflected on the different events associated with the month and said naming these experiences can help people understand why they may feel emotionally drained.
“I want to talk about the weight of August. Yes, this month. This month, which seems to have brought with it so much death and destruction and grief in so many different ways,” she said.
Remembering those who have died
Janet said one of the reasons August can feel difficult is the number of deaths and painful stories that come to mind during the month.
She mentioned the deaths of public figures, including country music star Dolly Parton and voice actor Peter Cullen, who was known for voicing Optimus Prime. For Janet, Cullen’s death carried a personal connection because his work was part of her childhood memories.
She also looked beyond recent events, recalling some of the darker moments in history that happened in August. Among them was the August 7, 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi, which remains one of the most painful events in Kenya’s history.
Janet also mentioned Emmett Till, a Black American teenager who was killed in 1955 after being falsely accused of offending a white woman. His mother later made sure the world saw what had happened to her son, turning his death into an important part of the history of racial injustice in the United States.
Why grief can feel connected to August
While reflecting on these events, Janet was careful to point out that there is no scientific evidence proving that August is worse than other months. Instead, she explained how the mind can connect different events and make a particular period feel more difficult.
She referred to the “availability heuristic”, a psychological concept describing how people judge how common something is based on how easily examples come to mind.
“When you’ve already associated a month with grief, every new loss lands and feels like confirmation, even when the math doesn’t necessarily back it up,” Janet explained.
She also acknowledged people experiencing anniversary grief, particularly those remembering loved ones who died around the same period. For her, understanding that August is not necessarily scientifically worse than other months provides room to hold on to hope.
Kenya’s painful election memories
Janet then turned to what she described as the “weight of the ballot”, saying August carries a different meaning for Kenyans because of the country’s political history.
She noted that Kenya’s recent general elections have taken place in August and said many people still carry memories of violence, loss and political tension. According to Janet, this has created a form of collective trauma that Kenyans have not fully processed.
“The last two elections have been held in August, and we do not have, maybe other than 2002, a recognition or realisation of an election that has not been marred by death and pain and corruption,” she said.
She also linked some of the country’s unresolved pain to its colonial history, saying the effects of past experiences can continue in different forms long after the original events.
Finding a way to move forward
For Janet, recognising the weight of August is not about declaring the month unlucky or allowing grief to take over. Instead, she believes understanding why certain memories feel heavy can help people process them without losing hope.
She said that knowing there is no scientific pattern proving August is the worst month gives her a reason to look beyond the difficult memories.
“The power in knowing that it’s not necessarily a pattern backed by science makes me feel like I can move forward with hope,” she said.
As August comes to an end, Janet’s reflection offers a reminder that grief can be personal, historical, and collective. For those carrying difficult memories, acknowledging the weight can be the first step towards making room for hope and moving forward.