Sonko Plans To Fly Baby Sagini To China For Treatment

Former Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, has offered hope for three-year-old Junior Sagini, a boy whose eyes were gouged out by unidentified assailants in Kisii County.

He revealed in a detailed statement on Monday, December 19 that he plans to fly Baby Sagini to South China for advanced treatment.

Sonko revealed that he had carried out research on the best hospital in the Asian country that would facilitate his emergency treatment and found one that specialises in eye implants.

According to a report by USA Today, the implants are a precursor to fitting the boy with prosthetic eyes that will look and move more like normal eyes but do not restore vision.

Baby Sagini in hospital. /CITIZEN TV

When Sonko contacted the hospital, he was informed that Baby Sagini needs to have referrals from at least two Kenyan hospitals before it can consider him for the advanced treatment.

"I have this afternoon conducted thorough research on which is the best hospital that can at least attend to Baby Sagini's emergency case and found there's a hospital in Shenzhen, South China called Dennis Lam Eye Hospital which does eye implants.

"However, after contacting the hospital we were advised Baby Sagini must have a referral from at least two Kenyan hospitals. We went ahead and booked an appointment for him to be reviewed at the Westlands laser eye hospital on Wednesday (December 21) where Doctor Kishor will attend to him," he stated in part.

Sonko also disclosed that he contacted the area MP of where the incident took place, Japheth Nyakundi, and the county government of Kisii to facilitate how baby Sagini will be brought to Westlands Laser Eye Hospital in Nairobi for review and recommendations by ophthalmologists and eye specialists. 

Additionally, he also intends to engage the Nairobi County Government under Johnson Sakaja to recommend eye specialists from Mbagathi Hospital to also do a separate review of baby Sagini and thereafter forward the two reports to China.

"After which we shall team up and coordinate with leaders from Kisii and fly him to C-MER (Shenzhen) Dennis Lam Eye Hospital in South China for implants that according to the Chinese Doctors would intriguingly help the boy with navigation sensors to allow him to get around on his own in familiar places," Sonko added.

The Chinese hospital had conducted an operation on a six-year-old boy whose eyes were gouged out in similar circumstances by fitting him with implants, navigation sensors that would allow the boy to get around on his own in familiar places.

Sonko remarked that he was not doing this for public relations services but to help those in genuine need of assistance through permanent solutions to all the cases he and his team have handled for years.

He previously offered a Ksh400,000 reward to any police officer who would track down and eliminate the gang members responsible as well as Ksh200,000 to any member of the public who would offer police leads and assist in tracking the gang.

He added that he would also defend the officers in case the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) tracks them down.

Following the arrest of Baby Sagini's mother and cousin, detectives in Kisii launched a manhunt for the main suspect, Maina Ochogo's mother, Pacifica, whom he had escorted to board a bus to Nairobi immediately after they reportedly injured the minor.

The main suspect in the baby Sagini case was arrested on Monday, December 19, 2022. /CAPITAL GROUP

Pacifica is seeking refuge in the city, according to the prosecutor who presented the case at a magistrates court in Kisii. On the day before the incident, both Ochogo and his mother were said to have spent time together at home.

The main suspect, accused of gouging out the boy's eyes for ritual purposes, will appear for plea-taking in court on December 23, 2022.