When Mike Mbuvi Sonko muscled technocrat Evans Kidero out of Nairobi’s top seat, whispers about his lack of formal education trailed him everywhere. Critics laughed him off as a bling-wearing populist with little grasp of governance. Yet, in a few short years, he proved that intuition, improvisation and street-savvy survival skills could sometimes outwit bookish credentials.
But Sonko’s fall was spectacular. His over-the-top fashion, unruly outbursts and flamboyant lifestyle earned him the unenviable crown of Kenya’s first impeached governor. Many thought that was the end of his story.
Not quite.
This week, the same man once written off as a cautionary tale of power gone rogue stood at the House of Lords in London — feted with not one but three global honours.
An Honorary Doctorate in Leadership & Governance from the American University of Peace and Governance (AUPG, USA).
A Leadership Excellence Award from the United Nations International Peace and Governance Council (UNIPGC).
Another accolade from the Jewel Howard Taylor Program, recognising his “service, patriotism and transformational leadership.”The irony was impossible to miss: a man scorned for his lack of papers now brandishing a doctorate, albeit honoris causa.
An elated Sonko gave all credit to divine favour:
“See how God is placing me on podiums that elevate me and favour me despite being out of office. I give Him glory, for my work here has been recognised.”
His global recognition follows years of headline-grabbing philanthropy — from bankrolling football fans and pledging millions to Harambee Stars, to adopting Baby James, the Mathare boy left orphaned after witnessing his father’s brutal murder.
For supporters, the awards cement Sonko as proof that education is not the only route to influence; that raw instinct, street sense, and a heart for the people can open doors that textbooks can’t. For critics, it’s yet another reinvention by a master of survival.
Love him or loathe him, Mike Sonko remains Kenya’s most improbable political comeback story — flamboyant, flawed, yet still finding ways to write his name in gold.
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