I had nothing to give my daughter when she turned 30-Jimmi Gathu on financial struggles

29 April 2022

• Jimmy Gathu is a father of three and has been married to his wife Cathy for the last 22 years.

• He is also a grandfather of three.

Legendary radio presenter Jimmi Gathu, has shared how helpless he felt for not having to buy his daughter a gift on her 30th birthday.

Gathu was going through a financial crisis after being sacked from a lucrative media job in 2016 when he was at the peak of his career.

He says that the incident taught him that sometimes all our kids want is our presence. Sharing his story on Spice FM he narrated,

"On Thursday, my firstborn daughter turned 30. I had nothing to give her, the month was at a bad place si unajuwa mambo za msoto nation. Ever since she was a child she never missed anything from me on her birthday.

There were people who owed me but when I asked them to pay me so that I could fund her birthday they turned me down."

Gathu says he couldn't deal with the fact that he would not be able to gift his daughter.

"I struggled with the fact that I could not give her anything. I wanted to buy her something profound to remind her of the day. But I knew the day could not end without me saying something. I sent her a message and told her of all the memories we had created."

"I reminded her of when she turned 4 , something happened between us when she was 4 and we considered it a milestone. I reminded her of when she had her first P's when she became a teen and went on her first dunda (party session), and when she became a mum.

I just poured my heart out. I told her I was sorry I did not get money to buy her a gift adding that the only thing I could give is the beautiful memories we had created."

Gathu says he was shocked at his daughter's response, she was not bothered about him not buying her a gift.

All she wanted is for him to avail himself so that he could eat her birthday cake.

"'Here is my question, when are you coming to get your cake?' All she wanted to know is when I would go share a cake with her. If someone calls you a deadbeat father and you are not usikubali.

Sometimes our kids don't need material things they just want to see your presence. It can be via a call or a text. Your child only wants to know you are a present and that she can call you anytime."

Taking to his socials to celebrate his daughter on her birthday Jimmi Gathu penned at the time,

"To the little girl...who chose out her own free will to call me 'Dad'. Allowing me to be her father, To the woman...who has since blessed me with three Grandkids.

To the professional media manager who reactivated and revived my brand. To this phenomenal woman who is my eldest daughter.

Happy 30th Birthday @wlatnahc I love you more than my life itself!!!❤❤❤❤❤💯✔#MunguNiMsoh."