Nairobi Man Says He Does All Household Chores As Wife Has Demanding Work Schedule

• Mwangi Ndiritu and his wife, Elizabeth Nyanjiru, met while still in high school, became sweethearts, and got married in 2020
• As it happened, Elizabeth got a higher-paying job with a more demanding schedule, forcing Mwangi to take a backseat and play a supporting role
• One of the most notable things is doing all the household chores, including washing her work clothes, to allow her time to rest

In a world still struggling to disentangle from the patriarchal system, a Nairobi husband named Mwangi Ndiritu is leading the way.

Mwangi says he has gladly taken on the responsibility of managing household chores to ease the burden on his wife, Elizabeth Nyanjiru Ng'ang'a.

Met while still in high school

The happy husband told TUKO.co.ke that the two lovebirds met in 2012 while still young and in high school.

One notable thing was that Elizabeth was from a better background than Mwangi, so she kept pushing him while he supported her throughout her career.

Mwangi completed school one year ahead of her but lacked the finances to move to the next level, so he had to take time off to think about the next step.

"When she told me she was pursuing mechanical engineering, I knew the only way to keep her was getting even a diploma, so I took myself to college and she supported me," he recalled.

Long distance relationship

The couple got married in April 2020 during the pandemic and struggled with a long-distance period when Ndiritu took up a job in Zambia.

However, he decided to sacrifice the job for the sake of their relationship and returned to Nairobi after taking a lower position.

"In Zambia, I was drinking heavily, and it almost cost me my job. When we realized the toll it was taking on our relationship, Elizabeth and I had an honest conversation, and I committed to making positive changes," he shared.

The turning point came in March when Mwangi decided to address his drinking habits and managed to tone it down with Elizabeth's unwavering support.

Handles household chores

Mwangi discloses that when he married Elizabeth, it never occurred to him that he would handle most house chores.

That was until she got a job at Easy Coach with demanding working hours, forcing her to leave home at 4:30 am and return around 10 pm.

Recognizing his wife's challenges, Mwangi knew he had to step up to manage all aspects of the household, from cleaning to laundering Elizabeth's work clothes.

"Initially, I wasn't fond of these tasks, but considering her hectic schedule, I didn't have much choice," he admitted.

Arrangement brought them closer

Since Elizabeth works Monday to Saturday while her husband works Saturday half day, he does cleaning and everything that needs to be done on his off day.

That way, he allows the wife to rest after a long week at work, an arrangement that has made them closer and kept their love intact despite the woman earning more.

Mwangi says he took it upon himself to ensure that Elizabeth could focus on her career without being overwhelmed by household responsibilities.

He admits that it's been tough, especially with his adjusted work hours, but things become easier as time passes, and he has learned to appreciate the value of sharing duties.

No hurry with children

In the interest of her career, the couple also agreed they would not have children until Elizabeth gained experience and got a stable job.

"I prioritized her career and her passion and it paid off. We will be expecting our firstborn later next year," Mwangi said with pride.

It was a decision that their friends did not receive well, as they thought the lovers had a problem getting children.

Mwangi says that one of the main things that have kept them strong is that they have been flexible with each other.

"We have always supported each others' goals and don't hide anything. She knows my salary, and the PINs to my accounts," he revealed.

Husband annoyed over chores

Elsewhere, Stuart Barrow took the drastic step of walking out on his wife and three children, citing frustration over an unequal distribution of household chores.

Stuart, who has been married to performing arts teacher Nicky for 16 years, claimed to bear the brunt of the housework, doing most of the tasks.

Nicky contested and pushed for a more balanced 60/40 split, while Stuart lamented over what he perceived as an unacknowledged workload.