Kenyan entrepreneur and musician Esther Akoth, popularly known as Akothee, has laid bare the emotional and physical exhaustion of raising children as a single parent. In a candid interview with Dr. Ofweneke on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the mother of five described the complexities of co-parenting as “suicidal,” citing a history of betrayal and desperation.<\/p>\n
Known for her bold stance on family matters, Akothee revealed that recent personal experiences have forced her to retract previous advice she gave to other single mothers. While she once advocated for allowing fathers access to their children regardless of the circumstances, she now urges women to prioritize their own peace and safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cKindly do what you think is good for you, because you are the one who knows the father of your children\u2014how far they can go, how deep they can go,\u201d she stated, suggesting that not all co-parenting situations are healthy or salvageable.<\/p>\n
The most heartbreaking part of her journey, Akothee confessed, is watching her daughters\u2014whom she raised through poverty and hardship\u2014be emotionally impacted by a father who walked out when they were toddlers.<\/p>\n
She noted that while she never denied him access or tried to turn her children against him, the damage caused by his early abandonment remains a heavy burden. \u201cThe only men that I might sit down with to negotiate why they are breaking my children are the ones they are falling in love with, but not their father who dumped us when Vesha was hardly nine,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Akothee also revisited the “darkest moments” of her life, sharing stories of the extreme measures she took to survive. She recalled a time when she entered a transactional relationship with a medical doctor just to ensure her sick daughter, Prudence, could receive treatment.<\/p>\n
“It was a transactional relationship where every time my daughter was sick, the doctor had airtime,” she revealed, painting a vivid picture of the vulnerability she faced. She recounted a harrowing night where she was arrested for lacking identification documents\u2014which her ex had withheld\u2014while her daughter lay at home alone with a shivering fever.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on those years of hardship, Akothee used her story as a cautionary tale for young women. She specifically spoke against dating married men or entering relationships out of desperation, noting that such paths often lead to further isolation.<\/p>\n
Today, while she stands as one of Kenya\u2019s most successful “self-made” women, Akothee\u2019s reflection serves as a reminder that the scars of single motherhood often run deeper than the public eye can see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kenyan entrepreneur and musician Esther Akoth, popularly known as Akothee, has laid bare the emotional and physical exhaustion of raising children as a single parent. In a candid interview with Dr. Ofweneke on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the mother of five described the complexities of co-parenting as “suicidal,” citing a history of betrayal and desperation. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6073,"featured_media":172045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[310],"tags":[11],"class_list":["post-233468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-akothee-news"],"yoast_head":"\n