May 22, 2017

Polygamy chief to men: Stop being cowards, marry more wives

Polygamy Kenya President Raphael Magero
Polygamy Kenya President Raphael Magero
Robert Amalemba
Standard Digital
May 22, 2017


Following rampant cases of mpango wa kando (secret lovers) and parallel families menace among local men, Polygamy Kenya (PK) President Raphael Magero has called upon men to give polygamy a try.

Taking a swipe at those demonising the concept and citing high cost of living as an impediment, Magero is appealing to Kenyan men to stop being cowards and venture into the age-old practice for peace in homes.

The president regretted that even after the Marriage Act 2014 sailed through parliament, few men have ventured in the now legal-but-socially-shunned venture.

He says they instead prefer to engage in the ever-risky mpango wa kando and prostitution but can never gather courage to officially bring home a woman as second, third or fourth wife.

“Men must stop being cowards. They should be like the Biblical Solomon who married many wives openly,” he said. While at it, the polygamy chief noted that women have increasingly become jealous, but urged men to be diplomatic about it.

“Well, it’s never that easy, when I was trying to get my second wife, for instance, my first wife protested bitterly. She threw tantrums of all manners and even issued threats of leaving. But she eventually gave in after I put up a solid case,” he said.

Magero — whose father, Fredrick Dindi, is a successful polygamy veteran based in Busia County and brags of five wives — is offering automatic membership to his association to Members of Parliament who passed the bill, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, who recently confessed to having sired a child out of wedlock.

“The association was formed so as to curb prostitution, deadly diseases and mpango wa Kando menace. We now want to create a movement to take the agenda further and help in reducing street children and make parents more responsible,” said the father of six children, who is keen in taking the tally to 12.

See also: Kisumu man jailed for life after he killed woman in lodging
“With big shots like DP Ruto, who recently admitted he soared wild oats, coming on board, proper logistics and country-wide civic education on the legality of the practice, it will be a success,” he added.

The Marriage Act 2014, allows polygamy but does not provide an official limit on the number of wives a man can have.

Following the warm polygamy remarks by the National Committee for Implementation of Citizen Participation in Security (CPS) chair who is also a champion of Nyumba Kumi neighbourhood watch Joseph Kaguthi last week, Magero has extended an olive branch to him, urging him to join him in preaching the polygamy gospel.

During a peace and security meeting in Naivasha, Kaguthi mentioned in passing that polygamy can help reduce wrangles in homes, especially in Central Kenya where the practice is totally frowned upon by women. Kaguthi called upon closet polygamists in Central Kenya to come out and introduce their secret lovers to wives as second or third wives to avoid fights that come up after they are busted cheating.

“This movement being led by married women in the Central Kenya that polygamy is illegal should stop if we have to increase on our population. The President of Kenya is a product of a polygamous family. I come from that set of a union and there is nothing wrong in it being re-introduced in Central,” the former Kisumu PC said, adding that it’s sad that the region leads in number of women living as single mothers.

News that clerics also backed the Nyumba Kumi champion excited the president of polygamy, prompting him to invite them to join hands and spread the message.

“Fact that Bishop (Rtd) Peter Njenga of the Anglican Church was quoted urging those present at the meeting to give African practices such as polygamy a try makes me a happy man. I feel I am in great company,” said a giggly Magero.

Magero said he will be more than pleased to meet Kaguthi so that he could help, using his might as the Nyumba Kumi champion, to push the polygamy agenda.

“The former PC looks like he can make a great ambassador of this concept of responsibly having more than one wife across the nation to stop these rampant cases of wives and husbands fighting after it’s discovered that the man has a secret family,” he said.

“We have a small fee of Sh500 that our members (practicing polygamists) usually pay to register, but that can be waived, seeing how zealous the former PC was in pushing the agenda. He is a good brand to our organisation already and we can use him as an ambassador to help other East and Central Africa countries adopt the polygamy culture like Kenya,” he said.

https://www.sde.co.ke/article/2001240681/polygamy-chief-to-men-stop-being-cowards-marry-more-wives

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