A Nairobi mother was left distressed after her househelp allegedly packed her belongings, locked her inside the house and left with the keys while she was preparing to report to work.
The woman, identified as Tina, shared the emotional experience in a TikTok video, explaining that she initially struggled to understand why her househelp had suddenly left without informing her.
According to Tina, the househelp packed her belongings before leaving the residence. She then locked the door from outside and carried the keys with her, leaving the young mother unable to get out.
Tina said she was particularly upset because she had responsibilities to attend to and needed to leave the house for work.
The situation became so frustrating that she considered breaking the door to free herself. However, doing so would have created another financial problem.
Tina said she contacted her landlord to seek assistance but was reportedly informed that replacing the door would cost about KSh20,000.
The amount was beyond what she could afford at the time, leaving her unsure how she would get out of the house without damaging the door.
In an emotional account, Tina said she would have preferred the househelp to communicate her intentions rather than leave her in such a difficult situation.
“She just waited for me to pay her, then ran away. I wish she just told me she wanted to leave,” Tina lamented.
As Tina continued thinking about what to do, the situation took an unexpected turn.
She heard someone opening the door and soon discovered that the same househelp had returned.
The househelp reportedly came back carrying the belongings she had taken from the house earlier.
When Tina sought an explanation, the woman reportedly apologised and explained that she had received an offer from a man who wanted to marry her.
According to the explanation shared by Tina, the househelp had left the house intending to meet the man at an agreed location.
However, things did not go according to plan. When she arrived at the meeting point, the man’s phone was reportedly unreachable.
Unable to contact him, the househelp reconsidered her decision and eventually returned to Tina’s home with her belongings.
The incident left Tina emotional, particularly because she had been preparing for her normal daily responsibilities when she suddenly found herself locked inside her own house.
The episode also highlights the difficulties that can arise when domestic workers leave employment without communicating their plans, especially when they are responsible for household duties and childcare.
For Tina, what began as an ordinary day quickly turned into a stressful ordeal involving a locked door, a potential KSh20,000 repair bill and an unexpected return by the househelp.