Nairobi, Sept. 8 — Kenya’s events and public relations circles are mourning the death of talented writer and PR practitioner Private Socrates, known widely as Sir Socrates, who died on Monday evening at his residence, according to friends and family.
He was reportedly found in the elevator of his residential building, having suffered what is believed to have been an asthma attack. He was said to have been alone at the time and unable to get help in time.
Private Socrates was the chief executive officer of Nairobi Founders Academy and one of the most recognisable voices on Kenya’s corporate and awards circuit. He was the founder and host of the annual Top40under40 Awards, and had built a reputation as a sought-after master of ceremonies and moderator, having fronted events including the Super Realtors Awards 2024, the Miss Independent Kenya Awards, the Turkish Universities Education Fair 2024, and the Scientists of Kenya Association Summit. He also convened the CEO of the Year Awards, held annually at the Villa Rosa Kempinski.
As recently as March this year, he delivered the opening address at the 2026 edition of the Top40under40 Awards, organised by Global Masterbrands, under the theme “Sharpening Kenyan professionals for the world stage.”
A graduate of St. Joseph’s Rapogi High School, where he finished in 2013, he went on to Moi University, where he served in the students’ council. Beyond his professional life, he was widely known as a philanthropist and a passionate advocate for people living with asthma, a cause that friends say was deeply personal to him as an asthmatic himself.
News of his death has drawn an outpouring of grief from colleagues and friends across Kenya’s corporate, media and events sectors, many of whom have taken to social media to remember him as a gifted writer, an eloquent orator and a generous spirit who used his platform to uplift others.
He will be deeply missed by those who knew him and by the many young professionals whose stories he helped tell on stage.