Nairobi Woman Hires a Househelp, Months Later Husband Dumps Her and Marries the Househelp

A Nairobi woman has narrated how her marriage collapsed after her husband allegedly abandoned her and their cancer-stricken son to be with a househelp she had hired to assist with childcare.

Lydia Omumea, a resident of Kibra, shared her heartbreaking experience with TUKO.co.ke, revealing how she struggled to rebuild her life after the man she married in 2015 allegedly left her for their domestic worker.

Lydia’s troubles began long before her marriage fell apart. She lost both parents while still in school, forcing her to drop out in Grade 8 before sitting her KCSE examinations.

She subsequently moved in with her grandmother as her sister travelled to Nairobi in search of employment. Life remained difficult until Lydia secured a job at a hotel, where she met her future husband.

The couple later settled in Donholm, Nairobi, where her husband worked as a car salesman. According to Lydia, he helped her establish a shoe business, and their relationship appeared stable after the birth of their first child.

However, their lives took a devastating turn when their son was diagnosed with blood cancer at around five years old, requiring regular hospital visits and medical care.

Struggling to balance her business and her son’s needs, Lydia hired a Ugandan househelp on a friend’s recommendation.

Initially, everything appeared normal, but she later noticed changes in the woman’s behaviour. Lydia alleged that the househelp began ignoring instructions and becoming increasingly close to her husband.

She claimed that she eventually caught the two together in the bedroom she shared with her husband.

Instead of ending the alleged affair, Lydia said her husband stopped contributing to their son’s medical expenses and forced her out of their bedroom, leaving the househelp to occupy the space.

In 2025, Lydia returned home to find the house locked, with her husband missing and the househelp having packed her belongings. Her husband allegedly stopped answering her calls and eventually blocked her.

With mounting bills and her business struggling, Lydia sold household items to pay for treatment before her sister relocated her to Kibra.

Today, she survives by washing clothes and utensils for neighbours while caring for her son.

Despite experiencing depression and moments of despair, Lydia says her child remains her greatest motivation to keep going.