Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina has used her return to music to address a familiar relationship dilemma: falling for someone who enjoys the romance but has no intention of committing.
In her reggae song Hit and Run, featuring Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango and Baragwi Ward MCA David Mathenge, Maina explores relationships in which one person pursues another without intending to build something lasting.
The song uses humour to encourage listeners to recognise warning signs in romantic relationships and avoid investing emotionally in partners whose intentions are unclear.
The accompanying music video features scenes filmed at a resort and along the beach in Mombasa. In one scene, Maina rides a quad bike as a man playing a potential suitor follows her, presenting the pursuit of romance as a chase.
Murango appears as a wealthy man, while Mathenge plays a watchman. Maina explained that the two politicians joined the production after her team struggled to find models for some of the scenes. She said they agreed to participate and supported the project.
How the song came about
Maina revealed that Hit and Run was written years ago but remained unrecorded as she concentrated on her studies, legal career and political ambitions.
Speaking during a Facebook Live session on Thursday, October 22, 2026, she credited Kameme FM presenter Muthoni Baby Top with encouraging her to return to the studio and record the song.
“The news is that Muthoni Baby Top challenged me to go back to the studio. The song is now on YouTube, called Hit and Run. It is a song I wrote many years ago, but I got into politics and law school, and I could not record the music,” she said.
The Woman Representative explained that she wanted to make room for activities that bring her personal fulfilment despite the demands of public office. “But I said, look, I am growing old every day, and I need something that fulfils me as a person. I love music, art and creating,” she added.
Maina has also encouraged fans to watch the music video and take part in challenges planned around the release, with cash prizes offered to participants.
Njeri Maina’s earlier music career
Although many Kenyans know Maina through her work in Parliament, music was part of her life before she entered politics.
While studying law at the University of Nairobi, she pursued music under the stage name Carola Jayne and was signed to Grandpa Records, a label associated with several Kenyan hits.
In a January 2024 interview, Maina recalled recording four songs during that period and looking for performance opportunities to build an audience.
However, she said pursuing music affected her studies because she sometimes missed classes to attend performances. A lecturer later advised her to concentrate on her education, prompting her to put music on hold and focus on completing her law degree.
She also appeared as a video vixen in Bahati’s song Najua, featuring Vivian, in 2020.
From law to politics
Maina was born and raised in Kibingoti, Kirinyaga County. She studied law at the University of Nairobi before completing her postgraduate legal training at the Kenya School of Law.
She later practised law and established her own legal practice, while also becoming involved in human rights advocacy.
In the 2022 General Election, she was elected Kirinyaga Woman Representative on a United Democratic Alliance ticket, becoming one of the younger members of the National Assembly.
Her public profile has largely been shaped by her work as a lawyer, legislator and advocate for young people. She has also spoken about financial challenges during her university years, including selling second-hand clothes to earn extra money.
The release of Hit and Run marks a return to a creative interest she put aside while pursuing her education and political career.
For Maina, the song is an opportunity to revisit a passion she has held for years while sharing a message about romance, commitment and recognising when a relationship may not be what it seems.
