Sonko Offers to Fly Baby Sagini to South China for Eye Implants

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has offered to fly a three-year-old boy whose eyes were gouged out to China for eye implants.

Sonko said he conducted thorough research on the best hospital that can attend to baby Junior Sagini's emergency case and settled on Dennis Lam Eye in Shenzhen, southern China, which has been doing eye implants successfully.

“…after contacting the hospital we were advised Baby Sagini must have a referral from at least two Kenyan hospitals,” Sonko said in a Facebook post.

The former governor said they booked an appointment at Westlands Laser Eye hospital and is intending to have an eye specialist from Mbagathi Hospital conduct a separate review of the boy.

"Thereafter [we will] forward the two reports to China after which we shall team up and coordinate with leaders from Kisii and fly him to Dennis Lam Eye Hospital in South China for implants," said Sonko.

The implants would help the boy with navigation sensors to allow him to get around on his own in familiar places but will not restore his vision.

"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," he added.

Sagini was reportedly playing with other children outside his grandmother’s house in Ikuruma village in Marani, Kisii County, when he was kidnapped by an assailant at around 6 pm on Wednesday. He was found dumped at his family’s banana plantation the following day with his face covered with blood and his eyes gouged out.

Doctors at Kisii Eye Hospital have confirmed that the boy will remain blind for the rest of his life.

26-year-old Maina Ochoki, a first cousin to the victim, was arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Sunday in connection with the incident.