Popular Kenyan musician Wahu Kagwi a mother of three has revealed why she prefers it when her lastborn daughter dons short natural hair. Wahu shared that her daughter’s hair is very short and braiding the short hair would cause her pain and discomfort.
“Shi’s hair is not long…so kushika is not easy…and even if I were to try, it would be such an unpleasant experience for her because she is the sort of child who can’t stay still for more than 5 minutes,”
“I don’t believe getting your hair done should be unpleasant…If she has an unhappy start to doing her hair, it may give her anxiety which is not what we want.”
Wahu reflected on her firstborn daughter Tumiso and recounted how she started enjoying making her hair at the age of around 9 or 10 years old.
“I remember when Tumi was a baby, she also couldn’t sit still…and I was told, ‘Ni kawaida mtoto kulia kwa salon’ (I didn’t have afrosiri then). Oh, how I wish I didn’t listen to this. Tumi didn’t start enjoying getting her hair done until she was around 9 or 10…and even then, it wasn’t enjoyment…more like tolerating. I wish I had just let her be.”
Wahu shared that Shiru has a soft texture and it would be difficult to maintain, “Shi’s hair is extremely soft so even if we were to go through the entire process, it will be untidy in 5 days…then we have to go through the whole discomfort of, keti nikubomoe, all again with a baby that struggles to keep still.”
Disclosing Shiru’s natural hair routine, she shared, “I wash, condition, treat, moisturize, finger comb or brush with a soft brush. Every now and then we shuka big matutas, but that’s it. All the products I use on her hair and skin are organic, because she is highly sensitive with her allergies.”
