Nairobi, May 2 -- It is hard to take Mumbi Kagombe at her word when she calls herself an introvert, even when she insists on it.

Not on this chilly Nairobi morning, with the air still wet from last night's rain. Mumbi is anything but quiet. She is a burst of motion and sound - loud, vibey, playful, almost electric - even as she dead-hangs on a calisthenics bar she built in her backyard in one of the city's swanky neighbourhoods.

It is even harder to believe that beneath all that energy and aura, the well-toned, slim-thick (a compliment she affirms) 39-year-old - who turns 40 next month - is carrying grief.

About two weeks ago, she parted ways for good with a man in her life. Her favourite man. The one she says loved her deeply, so comp...