"Felt like disappointment": Stephanie Kiuna speaks on getting pregnant at 21
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- Stephanie Kiuna, daughter of Bishop Allan Kiuna and Reverend Kathy Kiuna, revealed she discovered she was pregnant while studying architecture at university
- The candid confession came during a family podcast episode alongside her mother Kathy and sister Vanessa, where the trio tackled sensitive mother-daughter dilemmas
- Stephanie described the moment she had to break the news to her parents, admitting she was terrified of the reaction she would receive
Stephanie Kiuna has opened up about one of the most defining moments of her life, finding out she was pregnant at 21 while studying architecture at university and being the daughter of two prominent church leaders.
The revelation came during a candid family sit-down on her YouTube channel, where Stephanie hosted her mother, Reverend Kathy Kiuna, and her sister Vanessa for an unscripted conversation on mother-daughter challenges.
The episode, released on 19 August 2026, covered everything from favouritism to black tax, but it was Stephanie's personal pregnancy story that has since captured the most attention.
How Stephanie discovered she was pregnant
Stephanie told her mother and sister that she first began noticing unusual pains while on campus but kept brushing them off because she had an architecture assignment due.
It was only when she sat down and calculated the date of her last menstrual cycle that the possibility of pregnancy dawned on her.
In a twist, she found out for certain on the very day her sister Vanessa gave birth. She snuck into the hospital bathroom, took a test, and said the result appeared almost instantly.
"I closed it. Breathe in and out," she recalled, describing how she then walked out and calmly told Vanessa she was pregnant.
The harder conversation was telling her parents. Stephanie described sitting with her mother that night at the hospital and eventually saying:
"Mom, I have something to say."
Kathy's response was unexpected; she turned over and went to sleep, choosing not to react in the heat of the moment.
"I said neither good nor bad," Kathy explained, calling it her top parenting advice: never react when emotions are running high.
It felt like I was a disappointment
Stephanie admitted that at the time, carrying a child as a preacher's daughter felt overwhelming.
"It just felt like such a disappointment," she said, though she was quick to add that her daughter Mandy turned her life around completely.
Her mother Kathy drew a striking parallel, sharing that she herself had Vanessa at 21, and that it was Vanessa who ultimately led her to surrender her life to God at just 22 years old.
"She saved my life," Kathy said. "She introduced me to myself."
Kathy also revealed that when Bishop Allan Kiuna heard the news over the phone, his first reaction was not anger but self-blame.
"He said, 'Baby, what did we do wrong?'" she recalled, noting how parents instinctively absorb responsibility for their children's choices.
The episode closed with a message directed at any young woman facing a similar situation.
"Don't give up," Kathy said simply, while Stephanie added, "We turned out okay. Look at us."
Watch their conversation below:
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.