With many households already struggling to keep up with rising expenses, special occasions are no longer being approached the same way they used to be. Across Nairobi, people are adjusting their expectations and finding quieter, more personal ways to make their mothers feel appreciated without stretching themselves beyond their means.

For Anisa, a university student in Nairobi, Mother’s Day is less about expensive gifts and more about making her mother feel appreciated despite financial limitations. Although she would have loved to buy her mother flowers, shoes, and her favorite perfume this year, she says the current economy has made saving difficult, especially as a student.

“I’m a very sentimental person, so even if I don’t have a lot of money, I still want my mum to feel loved,” she said. Instead of expensive gifts, Anisa plans to make a crochet flower bouquet, write her mother a heartfelt note, and cook her favorite meal so she can relax and “take a break from all the mothering.”

The financial strain surrounding Mother’s Day is not only affecting students but working adults as well. Nancy Gitula, a Nairobi-based businesswoman, says celebrating the occasion has become more difficult as the cost of travel and other everyday expenses continues to rise. With her mother living in Eldoret, Nancy says travelling home is no longer as easy as it once was, especially with work responsibilities waiting the following day.

“It’s not really feasible for me to travel all the way to Eldoret and then come back because I still have to be at work on Monday,” she said. Instead, Nancy says she now mostly just calls or texts her mother on Mother’s Day, adding that even sending gifts has become expensive due to transport costs and the hike in gift prices. “Right now, everything feels overpriced, so sometimes all you can do is make sure your mum still feels remembered and appreciated,” she added.

Like many Kenyans balancing work and rising expenses, Moses Matiba says Mother’s Day is about making sure his mother feels remembered despite his demanding schedule and the rising cost of transport. “I may not always be able to travel home, but I always make sure I send her a Mother’s Day message,” he said.

While many people are adjusting their celebrations because of financial pressure, some mothers say expensive gifts have never been the most important part of the occasion.

Muna, a mother of one who also supports an orphanage in Kitale, says Mother’s Day is less about material presents and more about emotional connection and intentionality. She added that heartfelt gestures hold far more meaning to her than luxury gifts ever could.

“Mothers sacrifice a lot of material things to raise our families, so those things don’t really matter as much,” she said. “What means more to me is someone taking the time to sit with me, listen to me, and just be present. Time is the currency that makes me feel most appreciated.”

Muna also believes Mother’s Day has become increasingly commercialized over the years, with too much focus being placed on expensive gifts and public displays rather than genuine appreciation. “For me, appreciating mothers should not just happen on one day. It should be in the small things people do every day,” she said.

She added that if money were not an issue, she would rather see people use the occasion to support children at the orphanage and help them feel loved, supported, and remembered, instead of spending heavily on expensive gifts. “Those children also deserve to feel the impact of Mother’s Day,” she said.

Despite the financial strain many households continue to face, the meaning behind Mother’s Day remains unchanged for many families. While flowers, gifts, and travel may now feel out of reach for some, many Kenyans are still finding comfort in smaller, more personal acts of love, reminding mothers that appreciation is not always measured by money.