On January 17, a report from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) was backed by Kikuyu elders, Kiama Kia Ma.
Speaking to the media on January 18, the elders claimed that history was repeating itself and that the research indicating that men have more sexual partners was a true portrayal of the realities.
They observed that having more than one intimate partner was not a concern for men because it would prolong their lives.
“Having multiple lovers is acceptable as long as a man is financially secure enough to support them and can coexist with them amicably without clashing.
Men used to live for many years because they would move from one house to another when this was happening in the past, they claimed.
They went on to say that because men tend to stick with one partner, there would be less instances of domestic violence.
“Men are being beaten by their wives today because they have nowhere to flee. If he has another lover, he might flee to her for protection and end up living a long time, they contended.
The elders said that a guy would traditionally hunt for a new mate after losing affection for his first wife.
“Am pleading with people to accept this to end single parenthood. However, this will end the current practice of boys being reared by their moms and uncles, which has made having several wives unpleasant in today’s society, they elaborated.
Elders urged women to work with men to maintain stable partnerships even in cases where a guy is not in a solid position to support several partners, referencing the challenging economic climate in Kenya.
“Go ahead and have numerous spouses if you are stable. Since knowledge is a source of prosperity and our women are now educated, it will be acceptable for them to unite and support one another.
Men will have multiple wives to balance their lives because women make up the majority of the population and still need to get married.
According to the KNBS, Migori had the highest percentage of men who had numerous partners in the country at 28.7%, while Murang’a County had 11% of Kenyan women who had multiple sexual partners.
