Celebrated artist and entrepreneur Esther Akoth, also known as Akothee, recently revisited her former home, a house built for her by her father-in-law, where she faced unwanted attention from “church men” while her husband was away.

On her Instagram page, she shared photos of the house where she once lived with her four children, one of whom passed away at the age of eight months.

“This was my first home, built for me by my late father-in-law,” she narrated. “For those who don’t know, I was once married. I was a very faithful wife to one husband, and we were blessed with four children – three girls and one boy. Our son, unfortunately, passed away at the age of 8 months. I appreciate the father of my children for not demolishing this house; without it, I wouldn’t have memories to bring my children back to.”

Akothee continued to recount her experiences: “During that time, many married ‘church-going men’ would pursue me. I remained faithful despite their advances, knowing my children would otherwise have had different fathers. Despite being financially strained, I managed. In those days, there were no phones, so encounters happened at church. They would discreetly express their interest during church services or lunch breaks.”

She shared her strategy to evade their advances: “To discourage them, I’d suggest meetings in Kisii and request transport money, a considerable sum at the time. I’d then use the money to buy essentials like flour, sugar, and charcoal.”

Reflecting on the encounters, she added, “They’d attend church with their wives, eyeing me with resentment during the handshake time. I’d excuse myself, claiming my husband had unexpectedly arrived.”

Akothee also revealed how unfairly she was judged by the church board: “The church board often blamed me for various issues, even criticizing my choice of clothing.”