Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law a controversial marriage bill legalizing polygamy.
This comes at a time when women had complain and even protested against the shortage of men to impregnate them. Women had to match with placards to show the dissatisfaction of not being able to get men to satisfy them. Kenya is a nation where the number of women is about five times that of men. And considering the old law of one man marrying only one woman, many women were left without a man.
Legalizing polygamy brings civil law, where a man was only allowed one wife, into line with customary law, where some cultures allow multiple partners.
With this new law in place, one man can get married to as many wives as possible, saving women the stress of remaining single.
Women have received this message of legalizing polygamy with mixed feelings, with the already married women not happy and the single ladies sing praises to the president for a kind gesture.
Controversy surrounded an amendment to the bill, supported by many male MPs, allowing men to take more wives without consulting existing spouses.
Traditionally, first wives are supposed to give prior approval.