Nairobi —
Kenyan singer-songwriter Nadia Mukami has announced a new track titled Single Mother, inspired by the deeply personal story of actress Jackie Matubia. The song, which was released this week alongside an official lyric video, touches on the realities and challenges faced by women raising children on their own.
Mukami says the inspiration struck after watching Matubia’s recent interview on the G2G Podcast, where the actress opened up about parenting two daughters – one through co-parenting, and the other as a fully single mother.
“My biggest inspiration was Jackie Matubia’s interview,” Mukami shared on her Instagram. “The back-and-forth content online about single motherhood pushed me to speak on it -through music.”
In her post, the 28-year-old songstress didn’t hold back. She questioned the persistent stigma surrounding single mothers in Kenya and the silence around absentee fathers.
“No one wakes up and chooses to be a single mum,” she wrote. “Some are single due to rape, domestic violence, abandonment, or even the death of a partner.”
Mukami, who herself became a mother in 2022, has frequently used her platform to speak on issues affecting women and young mothers. Her 2022 EP Bundle of Joy was released shortly after the birth of her son and was a tribute to motherhood. Single Mother is the first single from her upcoming follow-up project, Bundle of Joy II.
The new song arrives at a time when conversations around parenting roles and gender expectations have taken centre stage on Kenyan social media. Matubia’s interview sparked a national dialogue, with many praising her honesty — while others reignited debate around co-parenting, responsibility, and the cultural pressure placed on mothers.
Though Nadia’s message resonated with many, not all responses have been supportive. Some critics online accused her of “glorifying” single motherhood, while others said her song unfairly painted fathers as irresponsible.
But Nadia has stood by her work.
“This is not about shaming anyone,” she said. “It’s about giving voice to women who carry the weight alone, and are still judged for it.”
Single Mother is already gaining momentum on streaming platforms and across social media, where clips from the lyric video — featuring silhouette imagery of a woman holding a child — are being widely shared.
Mukami says she hopes the track starts more honest conversations about parenting, responsibility, and empathy.
“Let’s stop judging,” she wrote. “Let’s start listening.”
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