Actress Jackie Matubia has never been one to shy away from the spotlight especially the public scrutiny of her relationships with her two baby daddies.
The 34-year-old actress and digital creator revealed a deeply personal chapter of her life, a two-year period of celibacy that helped her rediscover herself.
“It took two years of celibacy for me to figure out what I need and want. After two marriages, I realised I didn’t even know what I wanted in a man. Two different people, two different styles, I had to pause and rediscover myself,” she said.
Looking ahead to 2025, she’s optimistic about finding love again, describing her ideal partner as “Tall, chocolate, with beards. Oh, I love a good beard! Maybe even a silver fox vibe. But more than looks, I want someone who will love me, appreciate me, respect me, and, most importantly, adore me.”
Her self-discovery coincides with her latest venture, The Mommy Club NBO, a spinoff of the record-breaking franchise that premiered in South Africa and Tanzania.
The show, which offers a glimpse into the lives of five affluent Kenyan mothers navigating parenting, ambition, and glamour in Nairobi, marks a dream come true for the reality TV enthusiast.
“Back in 2023, when The Mommy Club SA premiered, I posted on Instagram, saying, ‘Mommy Club KE!’ I kept manifesting by telling everyone, ‘Mommy Club Kenya is happening!’ So, when the call finally came, I was like, ‘Manifestation works!’” she said.
Motherhood remains at the heart of Jackie’s story, both on and off the screen and she advises other mothers navigating co-parentin, “It’s not about you. It’s not about your partner. It’s about the kids.”
“If the father is willing to be in the child’s life, let him. Kids need that connection.”
While neither of her baby daddies will appear on the show, her first preferring to stay off-camera and her second’s whereabouts unknown, she remains committed to fostering harmony for the sake of her children.
Balancing motherhood with a thriving career, however, comes with its challenges.
“It feels like I am living 48 hours in a 24-hour day, squeezing in time for work, my kids, friends, and even myself,” she admitted.
“I may win big as an actress but sometimes lose as a mom, my kids go to bed without me or wake up when I am not there. That’s the hard truth about juggling everything. You win some; you lose some,” she added.
Public scrutiny, a constant in Jackie’s life, no longer fazes her. “At first, it really got to me. But then I realized, I just needed to grow thick skin,” she said.
“People are judging me based on the 10% of my life that I’ve shared with them on social media. They think that the 10% is my entire life. It is not even half, not even a quarter, it’s just the part I choose to show.”
Dismissing her critics with a Swahili saying. “Usiku mtalala, asubuhi tutamka” (You’ll sleep at night, we’ll wake up in the morning)