The Marrying Kind

The men of Kenya were worried: a new government bill threatened to restrict their right to marry as many wives as they could afford. Though polygamy would remain legal, according to legislation that was debated in Nairobi's Parliament last week, a man would be required to get permission from his first wife before marrying a second one. In addition, the new bill would make wife beating a crime.

Attorney General Charles Njonjo, who drafted the bill, is personally opposed to polygamy on the ground that it is "a luxury and too expensive." His compromise marriage law was designed to be more acceptable to Kenya's parliamentarians, the majority of whom are polygamists. Even so, many of them had serious reservations. Kimunai arap Soi, an M.P. representing one of the Kalenjin tribal areas, charged that the bill would make it impossible to teach wives "manners" by beating them. "Even slapping your wife would be out," he fumed. He was eloquently supported by another male member, Wafula Wabuge, who said that African women loved their men more when they were slapped, "for then the wives call you darling." Grace On-yango, one of four women in the 170-member assembly, ventured to point out that sometimes a mere "slap" could break a wife's jaw.

Arguing that the proposed legislation was "very un-African," Arap Soi warned that "we are moving too far, too fast in Kenya." He need not have worried: Parliament by an overwhelming majority, shelved the bill for six months. For the time being, therefore, Kenyans may continue to slap as many wives as they can afford.

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