Judy Nyawira reveals the most important advice her mom gave her as a married woman

Piece by: Maureen Waruinge

08 June 2023

• Judy was raised by mum after her father's death 23 years ago.

Judy Nyawira is speaking out about her childhood for the first time ever and has spoken about being raised by a widow following the death of her dad.

On her YouTube channel, she got candid about how her dad's death impacted the family with her mum being forced to take up work as a sweeper at a local market earning sh 200 a day.

She has three other siblings and Judy revealed how it was a difficult shift for the mother who had been a housewife when her dad was alive.

Her dad passed on in 2000, "And that is when things started to change."

The siblings moved from private to public schools, and life was not as rosy as they had been used to.

"Kidogo kidogo tukaingia public coz mum haezi afford private. Alafu hio public mum bado ana struggle kulipa," Judy shared.

"Mum was a housewife all her life. I don't remmeber her ever working when dad was alive. Kidogo kidogo inabidi mum achangamke. Ako kwa soko, akifagia for hio sow mbili ndio watoto wapate food."

They found it difficult to adjust to eating different food, not buying new clothes.

"Mum alikuwa mtu wa luku saa hii luku hakuna manguo ni yale kamoja," Bi Mkurugenzi added.

Things got worse because her father's side of the family appeared to claim his property.

"Typical African, mzee was boma akiondoka in-laws do what they do best. Yeah, and that is how our things changed," she sadly recalled shaking her head in dismay.

"Things changed completely. and because of that it made my mum become very intentional about how she was raising us."

This was more so for the girls. Judy has three sisters. When Judy became a mother herself, her mother had a life-changing chat with the film producer.

"She called me one time and even her tone told me aie something is different. When we met she told me mwanamke ni kujipanga, even if you are married, you need to have something that is in your name."

The reason was because of how her mum lost everything after her husband's name. Her husband Abel Mutua also recently opened up to his daughter Mumbus about being raised by a stepdad.