Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has offered to help a 3-year-old boy who had his eyes gouged out in Marani, Kisii county, access specialised treatment abroad.
Sonko, in a statement on Monday, December 19, said he had identified a hospital in Shenzhen southeastern China which specialises in eye implants that could handle Junior Sagini’s case.
Information available online shows that the facility identified as Dennis Lam Eye Hospital has been conducting successful eye implants for a while.
Sonko said he had contacted the hospital and briefed doctors about Baby Sagini’s case.
According to the former county chief, the hospital advised him to get a referral from at least two Kenyan hospitals before booking an appointment with the facility.
Sonko confirmed that efforts are ongoing to get the boy to Nairobi for review and recommendation from local ophthalmologists and eye specialists before being allowed to travel to China for the operation.
“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,” Sonko said adding that he was in talks with leaders from the Kisii region over his plans.
“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 0703112233 on Wednesday 21/12/2022 where Doctor Kishor will attend to him,” he added.
HOPE FOR BABY SAGINI.
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) December 19, 2022
We don’t pursue cases for PR purposes but we normally look for permanent solutions to all the cases we have handling. I’ve this afternoon conducted a thorough research on which is the best hospital that can atleast attend to Baby Sagini’s emergency case… pic.twitter.com/iNZTsxylW8
He said he had also engaged the Nairobi County Government to recommend eye specialists from Mbagathi Hospital to do a separate review of Baby Sagini.
“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 C-MER (Shenzhen) Dennis Lam Eye Hospital in South China for implants,” he added.
Sonko disclosed that the implants come with navigation sensors which would help the boy get around on his own in familiar places, but unfortunately won’t 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.
Baby Sagini was abducted from his parent’s home in Ikuruma village in Marani on Wednesday evening December 14, 2022, before he was found six hours later at the family’s banana plantation.
The minor’s face was covered with blood when he was found. The unknown person (s) gouged out his eyes before they left.
The boy was rushed to the Kisii Eye Hospital where doctors determined that his sight was permanently damaged.
“Both his eyes had been removed completely, and there are some injuries in the lids…so it looks like there was a sharp instrument like a knife that was used,” a doctor said.
Police confirmed on Monday that the main suspect behind the incident had been arrested.
Alex Maina Ochoki, 26, was arrested on Sunday evening by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and booked at Marani Police station.
Ochoki, a cousin to Baby Junior Sagini, is believed to have gouged out the minor’s eyes for rituals in a scheme involving the suspect’s mother identified as Pacifica. The woman is still at large.
The suspect was arraigned at Kisii Law Courts on Monday where the prosecution sought more time to detain him to allow police conclude investigations into the incident.
