Sandra Mbuvi, Sonko's daughter, on fame, fashion and...her 14 dogs

For most of her life, Sandra Mbuvi, also known as Thicky Sandra, the last-born daughter of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, has lived in the limelight.

From red-carpet appearances with her father to being trailed by cameras in malls and restaurants, privacy was a luxury she never quite had. But in her early 20s, Sandra did what many children of the spotlight only dream of: She moved abroad in 2023, not to hide, but to find herself.

Currently pursuing a five-year course in journalism, broadcasting, media, and podcasting at the University of Brighton in the UK, Sandra is slowly carving out her space far from the flashing cameras and unsolicited opinions.

In this interview, Sandra talks about fame, freedom, fashion, mental health, her relationship with her father, and, yes…her 14 dogs.

Why study journalism in the UK?

It is something I have wanted to do ever since I was a young girl. I have always seen Jeff Koinange on the screen, and thought, ‘I want to be like him!’  The reason I decided to go to the UK is that I feel the country is very diverse and has so many cultures – just a perfect place for an ambitious person. There is also no racism. I felt welcome. To be honest, I have relocated so I will only be returning home for holidays.

Was relocating to the UK your idea?

Yeah. I really wanted to escape the constant attention since it was too much. Too much fame. Sometimes I don't like it. You see how in the UK I can walk down the street and enjoy cultural stuff? That is the life I want to have. In Kenya, I can't even walk down the streets without being disturbed by people who know me.

Now I enjoy so much peace. It is the perfect word- very mentally relaxing. I can go to the beach without being disturbed. I can eat anywhere and interact with anyone. I also want my children to have a choice. If they want to be in the public eye, I will give them the platform. If they don’t, at least they will have that option.

I didn’t have that because I was born in the limelight.

Do you ever feel pressure to live up to the Sonko name?

Not really. To me, it is quite normal. I don’t see him as the flamboyant politician. I look at him as just my dad.

What would you say is the biggest misconception about you?
People say niko na maringo, but when they meet me, we make TikToks, laugh and I act like I have known them forever. People just judge me based on how I portray myself online, like a baddie. But they don’t even know me.

Let’s talk about your bond with your dad...

Our relationship is so strong, I don’t even think words can explain it. He is basically my best friend. He knows everything about my life and I talk to him about things like mental health and body shaming, even when I feel like I am too fat. He is like my therapist.

I discuss with him even the kind of men I want to date and he advises me so much about that.

How would you describe your style?

My style is based on emotion. When I am sad, I just put together random pieces and create a look. When I am happy, you will see the bright colours. If I’m not in the mood? It’s all black or something dark.

If you see me in a dera, just know I am bored but I will go everywhere in it, even to the airport.

What are the must-haves in your beauty routine?

Face mask, vitamin C, Arimis, and lip gloss. For my face and my whole body, I use Arimis since I don’t like using lotion. I sweat a lot, and lotion makes it worse.

There was talk online that you had cosmetic surgery and bleached your skin. How did you deal with that?

At first, they said I was fat. Then I hit the gym. Then they said I got my body done. I am like, how can I get liposuction and go to school the next day? If I had surgery, I could have been on bed rest for months. And I always post in real-time. I have never considered surgery. Maybe just laser for stretch marks.

About the bleaching claims? My mum is very light. Like very light. My grandpa was light-skinned too. All my mum’s siblings are light-skinned. People don’t understand genetics. Also, the UK weather is cold and less humid so you glow more. People are just crazy. I don’t even read my comments anymore.

What’s the worst thing someone’s said to you online?

Someone once called me a hippo. But it didn’t affect me. It actually motivated me to go to the gym. The more they hate, the more motivated I get. The more they say I can’t do something, the more I want to prove them wrong.

I am now on day 37 at the gym. I started in January. My weight is on point. My diet is on point and I am happy. It is all thanks to the online family, especially haters.
I was 82kgs. Not even that big. Now I am 76.5. My target is 70, maybe 68. But the gym is for life now. I am not stopping.

You love pets! How many dogs do you currently have?

When I was five years old, I had a white chicken that I adored. I used to sleep with it, carry it around...my grandma gave it to me.

That is when it started. Then my dad got me my first dog when I was like eight or nine years old. I currently have 14 dogs. They just keep giving birth. But I am giving some out to friends and family.

I will remain with just five. I have had to hire two houseboys to help with feeding and walking the dogs when I am in school. By 6pm, they all have to be walked and cleaned.

What is their feeding schedule like?

The big dogs get rice and stew with different proteins – fish, eggs, chicken, beef, goat. Some of them are very picky, so sometimes I give them mashed potatoes, sometimes chicken curry. One of the workers takes care of the German Shepherds, the other focuses on my favourite five dogs.

I also have two parrots. They are honestly much less stressful to take care of. All they eat is vegetables and sweet corn, so they are low-maintenance.

They just talk all the time. Every morning, they call my name, like, I’ll be sleeping at 6am and suddenly hear, “Sandra!” And I am just like, what is happening? I love them because they are easy to keep and way more affordable compared to the dogs.

Are you dating? Do you think men fear you?

I am single and open to whatever comes my way. If something happens, cool. If not, I am still good. I am not searching, but I am ready if it comes.

I feel like Kenyan men are insecure. That is why I don’t date them. I just don’t find Kenyan men interesting. I have never even dated one. My first boyfriend was American. I went to an international high school, so I was surrounded by people from different backgrounds, actually, more white students than Kenyan ones. That shaped my perspective a lot.

I don’t hate Kenyan men, we can be friends, but in terms of a relationship? No. I don’t even want the father of my children to be Kenyan. I see myself having mixed-race Black children. That has always been the picture in my head.

What do you say to people who think you have had it easy?

I don’t really say anything. I just let people think what they want. At the end of the day, good things don’t come easy and that’s the truth. My dad had to sacrifice a lot to give each of his daughters the life we have now.

So when people say it looks easy, I just smile. They don’t see the work behind it. For me, that is motivation. I work extra hard in school because I want to give my future children the same standards of living.

And it's not like my dad will always be the one paying for everything. Parents get older and so do we. I am almost done with university, and I know it will soon be my turn to handle things and pay the bills.

That is just how it goes.