In an interview with Lynn Ngugi on Tuesday, Judy Nyawira, for the first time, opened up about her challenging childhood following her father's death in 2002.
Judy's father passed away leaving the family under the care of her widowed mother, who had never worked outside the home nor owned any property.
"Everything they had built with my dad was in his name. So when the in-laws decided to do whatever they did she had no means to claim. For instance, our land title deed had my dad's name," Judy revealed.
Judy Nyawira - My mum transitioned from housewife to sweeper
Judy described her mother as a devoted housewife throughout her father's life. However, with her husband's demise, their lives took a dramatic turn.
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Her mother was forced to become a sweeper at a local market, struggling to earn a meager wage of sh 200 a day.
They had to move from private to public schools, and the comfortable life they once knew turned into a distant memory.
Judy Nyawira's mum strained relationship with in-laws
The mother of one shared her decision to maintain a cordial yet distant relationship with her in-laws.
This choice was influenced by the painful experiences she witnessed her mother endure at the hands of her own in-laws.
"Let me tell you Lynn, hii ni kitu nasemanga. Of course i have in laws but if there is something i strive to do, is i stay away from my in-laws. We have a very cordial relationship but huwa najaribu kukaa mbali. Ni juu ya stuff i saw my mum o through with her in-laws," Judy said.
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After her father's death, their in-laws came and forcefully evicted Judy's mother from their home, leaving them with nothing.
"After my dad died, the in-laws came over and took everything. At some point they came over and kicked mum out of the house. So we had to go back to her mother's house. Everything that was hard earned by both my parents," she said.
The situation worsened when the in-laws seized all the property and belongings, stripping the family of everything that her parents had worked hard for.
How wedding certificate saved Judy & family from losing wealth
Fortunately, Judy's mother had a civil wedding certificate, which granted them access to their home through the courts.
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With the support of the court, they reclaimed their house with the help of officers appointed for the task. However, the struggle wasn't over, as the in-laws had taken away many of their belongings.
"Lucky for my mum, she had done a civil wedding so, she had a wedding certificate. This granted the courts access to our home. I still remember that day we went back home. Sisi tulirudishwa nyumbani na court na makarau. The court directed some officers to take us back home," she said.
Many of their assets, including the land they owned, were registered solely under her late husband's name. This made it challenging for her to claim ownership or access these properties after the in-laws' actions.
Judy Nyawira's lessons from her mother's struggles
Judy's own strength and determination were shaped by witnessing her mother's hardships. The lack of ownership of assets after her father's death motivated Judy to define herself and stand on her own feet.
"The reason why i define myself is because of what I saw my mum go through. She went through a lot of problems because she didn't have things of her own," she said.
She vowed to have her own possessions and ensure she had control over her life and future.