A friend asked me what I think about the marriage bill, so I decided to check it out before I comment on it.
I got this from the EA Standard by:-
Samuel Otieno And Dorothy Ruto
The way Kenyans view marriages, dowry, divorce and come-we-stay relationships will change significantly if a proposed new law is enacted.
The place of dowry in society could be weakened considerably, as the Marriage Bill 2007 proposes that it should not affect the validity of marriage in any way, unlike in the present set up where dowry is seen as a binding factor. Read more
Apparently this bill was rejected in Kenya after the government appointed a commission in 1967 to consider the existing law relating to marriage, divorce etc…..
Members of parliament at that time rejected the bill saying it was un-African, it was copied from English law taking no account of African custom and tradition, it was going to give too many rights to woman and suggested that it needs further consultation and possibly a referendum. So I wonder if this bill now is not a threat to men like it was years back. May be its because the law will allow them to marry as many wives as they like when this bill is enacted.
Come-we-stay marriages will be on the rise especially with those avoiding the cost of marriage (weddings and paying dowry), making dowry meaningless. Polygamy cases, which had declined will be on the rise. Hence I don’t think this will help solve the many problems in marriages today.
What is your take on this bill?
1 comment:
I think there should be no laws governing relationships. Two people should decide which way they want their relationship to go. If one gets a bad deal then they must have been blind
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