The former county boss also criticized the way Mbugua’s struggles have been handled in the public eye, particularly on social media platforms
In what could lead to a paradigm shift in terms of media coverage of celebrity figures and public personalities, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has announced that he intends to bar members of the family of former Citizen TV presenter, Kimani Mbugua from discussing anything about him in media interviews.
Sonko on Tuesday, January 21 expressed his disappointment at what he terms were “ongoing exchanges, accusations, and counter-accusations” surrounding the situation involving Mbugua.
The former county boss also criticized the way Mbugua’s struggles have been handled in the public eye, particularly on social media platforms, and hit out at the father as well as media personality Oga Obinna for fanning their exposure of Kimani Mbugua, arguing that they were painting him in a bad light.
Sonko reckoned that it was important for Kimani Mbugua’s father to acknowledge what his son was going through, as this was an extraordinary case that required special attention.
Media personality Oga Obinna. /BUZZ CENTRAL
“Let me offer counsel to Oga Obinna and Kimani Mbugua’s father regarding their continuous exposure of Kimani across various social media platforms,” Sonko addressed.
“It is important for Kimani Mbugua’s father to recognize that his son is still in the process of recovery and should be treated with a lot of care; otherwise, Kimani may experience feelings of rejection and abandonment, potentially leading to detrimental actions.”
Sonko then deemed the discussion of Kimani Mbugua on Obinna’s live show as unnecessary and urged the media personality to use his platform responsibly.
In response to the current situation, Sonko has promised to intervene directly. He plans to contact both Kimani’s father and Obinna to request they cease live discussions and sharing content about Mbugua.
“In the meantime, I will reach out to both Kimani’s father and Obina to request that they stop further live discussions or sharing content related to Kimani Mbugua,” he added.
Furthermore, Sonko has committed to ensuring that Mbugua returns to a rehabilitation centre to continue his medical care.
Addressing Mbugua’s mother and sister, he said, “Kimani Mbugua’s Mum and the sister, kindly return him to me. I will deal with his situation and he will be alright,” promising to manage the situation and ensure Mbugua’s well-being.
During the show, Mbugua’s father revealed that his son was yet to fully heal and suggested that he should go through the full therapy that would extend for 12 months. He initially did only six months in his last session, sponsored by Sonko.
The father said he knew all wasn’t okay when he sent him a long text message asking him to stay away from him and that he had decided to cut ties with the family. He also shared photos of ashtrays at Mbugua’s house to reveal how deeply he was back into smoking.
The call from Sonko underscores a broader conversation about the ethical responsibilities of public figures and media personalities when dealing with individuals facing personal and health challenges, as well as how the media space should be trained against being used by individuals to defame others in the public eye.
Recently, Obinna addressed claims made by Kimani Mbugua that he was withholding Ksh50,000 contributed by fans. The accusations surfaced weeks after the former radio presenter promised to offer Kimani a job following his discharge from a rehab centre in Mombasa.
“From the look of things, Kimani might not be back 100%. There may be a relapse that comes and goes. I do not appreciate the bashing he is getting. Let’s stop insulting him. He is our brother; let’s wait and see what happens. His dad texted me, telling me that Kimani asked him to stay away. We still have Ksh 100K left. The signatories are Kimani’s father and I. We decided that by the end of January, we would pay his rent for six months. When Kimani came to my show after leaving rehab, people sent him money, but it was sent to his sister, not to me,” Obinna addressed on his social media.
Obinna further added, “Let’s be kind to him and treat him with respect. Insults are not helpful. We should not be hard on him—he needs us more than he knows. I don’t know about the Ksh 50,000 he’s referring to. The money we raised was more than that and we used it to support Kimani Mbugua and journalist Eunice Omollo. I think we let him out too soon. Let’s wait and see how things unfold. Keep him in your prayers, as well as others battling mental health.”
