Mike Sonko is celebrating a major milestone for Baby James, the young Mathare boy he adopted after a traumatic incident in January 2025 left the child without a parent.
Sonko announced on Sunday, October 11, that Baby James had graduated from Pre-Primary 2 (PP2) to Grade 1.
What did Sonko say about Baby James’ achievements?
Even more remarkably, the former governor revealed he had enrolled the boy in an international school running the Cambridge curriculum, citing the child’s exceptional intelligence.
“Today, my heart is filled with tears of joy. Our beloved Baby James has graduated from PP2 to Grade 1!” Sonko wrote in an emotional Facebook post, adding that the boy now studies alongside his own children at the new school.
Baby James was barely three years old when his life changed forever. His father was fatally stabbed by thugs in Mathare Area 4, Nairobi, while walking his son to school.
The boy witnessed the brutal attack, which left him deeply traumatised, prompting community members and local administrators to seek urgent intervention.
Sonko stepped in shortly after, taking the child under his care and working with the Ruaraka Children’s Department and Makadara Judiciary to formalise the adoption.
He also arranged therapy sessions for the boy and secured medical cover reportedly worth KSh 20 million through AAR Insurance. In his post, Sonko recalled the heartbreak of that day, writing that thugs had kicked away the boy’s lunchbox containing ugali and omena before killing his father.
“They took away his father, but they could not take away his future!” he wrote.
The journey has not been without complications. Earlier in 2026, a section of Baby James’ extended family from Kisii demanded his return, sparking a public standoff with Sonko.
The situation escalated on social media before the boy’s grandfather eventually visited Sonko and distanced the wider family from the demands.
The two sides ultimately reached an agreement allowing the family open access to the child while Sonko retained custody.
In Sunday’s post, Sonko also appealed to eyewitnesses in his father’s murder case not to withdraw from the legal proceedings, urging the community to help deliver justice for the boy.
See the post below:
Kenyans weigh in
Kenyans on social media warmly received the news. Here is what some had to say:
Priscah Rutere Philip:
“Kazi poa sana mhesh, may God send addition to ur life”
Catherine Mwende:
“If all the rich could use their riches this way, we could be a better nation”
Mrs Eveleen Mitei:
“Every child deserves the chance to learn, dream and build a brighter future, regardless of the hardships they have endured. May Baby James’s journey remind us that compassion is most powerful when it becomes a lifelong commitment, and that justice must never be abandoned when the vulnerable need a voice.”
Mary Kariuki:
“Mike Sonko, you will always be blessed”
Sylvia Jacob:
“Mungu akubariki sana sonko na azidi kufungua nji zako”
