“I Have Not Shut the Door to Love” — Still Hopeful After Twelve Marriages, Kenyan Woman Shares Her Story

Cynthia Achieng Abok, a mother of three and Nairobi resident originally from Kisumu, says she is still open to love despite experiencing twelve failed marriages.

Her story reflects years of emotional vulnerability, unstable family dynamics, and a persistent desire for security through relationships.

Her first marriage took place when she was still a minor, a decision she attributes to hardship at home. “My mother got married elsewhere, and life with my father was not easy. It was unbearable,” she recalled.

With her siblings no longer around and the environment in her mother’s new home equally difficult, Abok said she felt forced to seek stability elsewhere.

During those vulnerable years, she encountered several men who promised to support her but instead led her into unstable and short-lived relationships.

“Most were married men. They would rent houses for me and keep me there to hide me from their wives and other drama.

“I ended up with them because I was desperate, and I always fell for their lies that they would take me to school. I genuinely wanted to learn, but they all took advantage of me,” she said.

Her pursuit of education and a better life, she said, made her susceptible to exploitation.

“Being young, naïve, and desperate, I continually found myself in the hands of selfish men who did not truly care about me.

“They promised me education and a better lifestyle, among other things, but they were all lies,”
she explained.

One relationship stood out: her involvement with a seventy-seven-year-old married pastor who eventually fathered one of her children.

“He was married and took me to a different place from his main home. He would visit me during the day.

“He never fulfilled any of his promises and sometimes even abused me,” she said.

Despite the emotional toll, Abok stayed until his wife discovered the affair and removed her from the house.

“Our relationship had more downs than ups, but I chose to remain until his wife found out. I was chased away.”

According to Tori.ng, her journey has been marked by continuous struggle.

To survive, Abok worked irregular jobs, leaned on strangers for support, and at times relied on harmful substances to cope with stress.

Yet, despite the pain and betrayal, she insists that hope still lingers.

“Maybe God can bring a good person my way. I would still accept love. For now, I may not be ready, but I have not shut the door to love,” she said.