Former Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko has opened up about his family’s private battle with mental illness, revealing that his daughter Saumu Mbuvi suffered from bipolar disorder, the same condition that afflicted the late journalist Kimani Mbugua.
Speaking on October 29, 2025, during the burial ceremony of Kimani Mbugua in Maragua, Murang’a County, the former Nairobi Governor made the revelation as he was among other high-profile mourners who paid tribute to the former media personality.
“The rich also cry, we also suffer in silence. To show Kimani Mbugua, Conjestina Achieng and others that this disease of bipolar and mental illness comes from God, my own daughter Saumu Mbuvi suffered from the same condition,” Sonko said during his speech at the burial.
The former governor said that despite his family’s financial capability, he chose to have his daughter treated in Kenya, to encourage other families facing similar challenges to seek help without fear or shame. He added by urging Kenyans to treat affected individuals with empathy rather than judgment.
The former county boss has previously been vocal about mental health issues. In May 2024, while visiting Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, he revealed that he was once diagnosed with bipolar disorder himself, describing it as a hereditary condition in his family.
“I also had this condition, and my daughter went through the same. It seems to be hereditary. We sought treatment and by God’s grace, we are fine now,” he said at the time.
The former Governor had stood by Kimani Mbugua during his recovery journey, admitting him to Mombasa Rescue Center twice, in 2019 and later this year in March. He talks of doing this because, first, Kimani was his friend and also he understood bipolar disorder, having suffered from it himself.
Sonko’s remarks come amid increasing public awareness of mental health challenges in Kenya. Figures like Kimani Mbugua, who died in October 2025 after a long struggle with bipolar disorder, and former boxer Conjestina Achieng, who continues to receive psychiatric care, have humanized a problem many still associate with stigma.
By linking his family’s experience with those of other public figures, Sonko underscored that mental illness is not a sign of weakness but a medical condition that requires treatment, care, and compassion.
He urged the government and the public to invest more in mental health facilities and community support systems, saying that silence only worsens the problem.
