Mali Therapy Center for children with Autism, founder and director Pauline Wamukowa, with a ten-year-old Autistic Child, Ezekiel Mwiti, who was rescued by well-wishers in Meru County. [Benard Orwongo,Standard]

A nine-year-old boy found locked in a wooden cage in Meru is showing remarkable progress after nearly a week of specialised care and will eventually move to a children's home.

Daniel Mwiti, who spent seven years confined to the cage after his mother abandoned him at age one, can now walk independently and use toilets alone.

Specialists examining the boy have given him three months to undergo evaluation and hope he will start talking.

Grandparents Joseph Murungi and Stella Kathure resorted to caging Mwiti after he became violent when he was two years old.

The grandmother reportedly built the cage after the boy became aggressive and started behaving erratically.

TikToker Supuu Mioro discovered the boy and posted a video showing his living conditions, which went viral on social media and sparked a nationwide rescue effort.

Comedian Eric Omondi partnered with Mali Therapy Centre for Kids with Autism to coordinate the rescue and treatment.

Kenyans raised over Sh1 million within three days for Mwiti's medical care and housing.

Doctors were working to determine if Mwiti was autistic or experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

"He can now walk and even visit toilets alone. He will be trained slowly to understand that people should not eat in the washrooms. The specialists have given him three months to undergo some evaluation with hopes that he will start talking," said Mioro.

A school in Karen has offered to train Mwiti on speech development and other skills.

Mali Therapy Centre Director Pauline Elizabeth Wamukowa is overseeing his care and the early intervention process.

Wamukowa, a mother to an autistic child, registered the Mali Autism Awareness Centre in 2018 after her own journey seeking specialised care for her son.

The centre focuses on early intervention, integration and inclusion programs for children with autism and related disorders.

Once Mwiti completes his assessment and treatment, he will be taken to Shalom Children's Home, where Father Gaciata Francis will care for him.

Shalom Home and its sister center Acts of Mercy, care for more than 1,000 children across Meru County.

The home houses about 400 orphaned and vulnerable children and is run by the Catholic Diocese of Meru.

Mwiti's mother has been missing for seven years since abandoning him.