Kenyan musician and businesswoman Esther Akoth Kokeyo, popularly known as Akothee, has responded to claims from some social media users that she appears to love her father more than her mother.
The discussion began after Akothee shared a Facebook post about the time she spent with her father after attending church together.
Some people in the comment section suggested that she seemed closer to her father than her mother. However, Akothee dismissed the suggestion, saying that she loves both of her parents.
She used an interesting comparison to explain their different personalities, describing one parent as a dove and the other as a porcupine.
Akothee explained that her father was the parent who spent more time close to her, particularly during difficult moments in her life.
She said that even after spending three years without her mother, her father remained close to her. She also recalled that when she dropped out of school, her father was the person who stayed by her side.
According to Akothee, her mother was more involved in disciplining her, while her father never physically punished her.
She further revealed that she knows many secrets about her father that even her mother does not know.
According to the musician, her father shared many things with her that he never told her mother.
Akothee said some of those secrets would remain with her until her death and would only possibly be revealed if she were ever summoned as an eyewitness.
However, she made it clear that her closeness to her father should not be interpreted as a lack of love for her mother.
Reflecting on her childhood, Akothee said children sometimes misunderstand discipline and see it as punishment, making them naturally run to the parent who appears softer.
“As children, we sometimes mistake discipline for punishment and naturally run to the softer parent. But today I understand: my mother’s discipline was love, and my father’s softness was love too,” she said.
Akothee concluded her message by declaring her love for both parents.
“I love my parents to death. May God keep them for me,” she said.
Her message offered a personal reflection on the different ways parents express love and how childhood experiences can shape the relationship between children and their parents.