Celestine Ndinda's latest podcast episode has Kenyans talking. Her guest, media personality Fashionable Mum, spoke openly about the sacrifices of marrying young and becoming a mother before exploring life on her own terms.
Celestine on the stage she couldn't skip
The mother of two admitted that marrying comedian Njugush early meant she moved straight into family life.
She had little time to explore her independence or enjoy her twenties.
"I got married very young... I have a stage. I have a stage and I can't skip."
She admitted that marrying Njugush while still fairly young meant she skipped over phases of life that many of her peers got to experience without restriction.
A blended family shortly after the wedding
Fashionable Mum shared a similar experience. She became a stepmother to seven children, stepping into a blended family of kids aged between six and nine soon after her own wedding.
She said the adjustment came with pressure to prove herself.
"For me, I had to do double of what other people are doing, even the real parents."
Five years of unexplained illness
The conversation also turned to health. Fashionable Mum revealed she had battled a mysterious, undiagnosed illness for five years.
Her symptoms included persistent fatigue, joint pain, loss of appetite and sudden convulsions that left her with severe memory loss.
She and her husband travelled across six countries in search of answers, including Dubai, South Africa, India, Thailand and the UK.
Specialists in London finally diagnosed her condition last year. The episode struck a chord with listeners.
Many praised the two women for speaking so openly about early marriage, blended families and long-term illness.
