Veteran Hot 96 morning show host Nick Odhiambo has stirred up a storm online after declaring he will never walk down the aisle again, despite having celebrated a lavish traditional wedding with his partner Annie Sumbeiywo in April 2024.
The 44-year-old made the candid admission during a sit-down on the Iko Nini Podcast hosted by Alex Mwakideu, where he touched on a range of personal topics including marriage, financial pressure, and the heartbreaking losses he has endured as a father.
“I will never get married again, its too peaceful being unmarried. A lot of women want to get married, but they don’t want to be wives. The beginning of a woman’s financial stability is when they get married, but the beginning of a man’s financial downfall is when they get married,” Nick said during the interview.
The clip, which has gone viral, quickly sparked debate online, with many Kenyans questioning whether the presenter was drawing from his own experience.
Nick and Annie’s colourful Koito ceremony
Just over a year ago, Nick and Annie exchanged vows in a traditional wedding ceremony known as a koito, held on Saturday, April 13, 2024. The event was attended by hundreds of guests including city lawyer and businessman Donald Kipkorir, who described Annie as a close friend.
The couple turned heads in matching custom-made red outfits crafted by local fashion designers. After the ceremony, Nick was clearly smitten, sharing a photo of Annie with the caption: “My queen aka Mrs. Odhiambo… Aka baby girl.”
The wedding represented a fresh start for the presenter, who had previously been in a publicised relationship with Jane Mwai, with whom he shares a daughter. That relationship came to an end in 2016 following assault allegations, something Nick later spoke about with regret.
Painful personal history behind His words
Nick’s comments carry the weight of a man who has faced profound personal hardship. In January 2019, he publicly announced he had lost an unborn son, and in June 2021, he suffered another devastating blow when a newborn son passed away just three days after birth.
Days after his 2024 traditional wedding, Nick was also forced to address a viral screenshot of an old WhatsApp conversation that had resurfaced.
He dismissed the claims, saying:
“Mumesema mwanaume hawezi kaa happily married for more than 24hrs? Who hurt you.That trending pic is from 10 years ago. And a cropped screenshot.”
Neither Nick nor Annie has publicly addressed whether his podcast remarks were a joke, a personal reflection, or a broader commentary on modern marriage.
Kenyans online have since been split, with some men echoing his sentiments while many women have pushed back against what they see as an unfair generalisation.
