Janet Mbugua lauds Mike Sonko for getting his daughter out of abusive home
Media personality Janet Mbugua has praised former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko for stepping in to rescue his daughter from an abusive relationship, saying his swift action likely saved her life.
In a video statement on Instagram on Monday, November 17, 2025, Mbugua acknowledged that while Sonko remains a polarising public figure, his response in this moment was exemplary and reflects what many families often fail to do.
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“Yes, he is a polarising figure, but he did what most families fail to do. He went straight into the gender-based recovery centre, and he saved her life,” she said.
She noted that many survivors do not remain in abusive relationships because they want to be mistreated, but because the cycle of abuse is deeply complex.
“Fear and love live in the same space. Economic dependence is real. Stigma and shame are real,” Mbugua explained, underscoring the emotional and psychological dynamics that trap victims.
Mbugua urged the public and families to be proactive, patient, and supportive when dealing with survivors of gender-based violence.
“What does being proactive look like? It looks like checking in even after a survivor has left. It means paying attention to signs or patterns you can name, and being a safe space for the person affected,” she said. “Remember, shame, stigma, and fear are real.”
She also encouraged Kenyans to share information about support systems such as Gender-Based Recovery Centres (GBRCs) and other available resources, stressing the need to avoid judgment.
“It means sharing resources like GBRC and others online. But it really means paying attention and not loading judgement on somebody who is already fearing for her life,” she added.
Mbugua reiterated that supporting survivors with compassion and vigilance can be the difference between life and death, calling for collective responsibility in the fight against GBV.
The incident, which first came to public attention through a video shared on Sonko’s social media pages, began when Salma asked her husband what they would have for breakfast, only for the domestic atmosphere to spiral, culminating in the slap that led her to call her parents in fear.
Sonko, who was visibly shaken in his remarks, said he acted immediately because no parent can remain still when their child’s well-being is under threat.
“Today, we received a distress call from our daughter that shook us to the core, her voice trembling, her spirit broken. As a parent, nothing prepares you for the moment your child reaches out in fear, in pain, or in desperation. I acted immediately, because no mother or father can sit still when their child is hurting,” Sonko said in his statement.
