The practice of bride-price payment has, since medieval times, remained a fixture in many a union between man and woman. In most societies, the groom pays the bride-price to the bride’s family as token appreciation and as compensation to them for ‘losing a daughter’
Normally, after lengthy negotiations between the two families, the groom’s father would pay the bride-price, in the form of cattle, to the bride’s father. Many parents are in turn looking at the bride-price payment as a source of income, hence their persistence should there be a delay from the man in meeting this demand.
But that is soon going to be a different case. Kenyans have taken to social media to share their views on an impending proposal by the country’s Member of Parliaments that brides should pay dowry to educated prospective husbands.
The demand for educated husbands is increasingly high according to a section of MPs led by Nixon Korir. He maintains that times have changed and women earn and have become more independent and can speak for their rights.
Arguing that it is unrealistic for highly educated men to pay heavily as bride price when they are rare to find. “We need to do this as soon as possible and save the endangered species of male elites in the society.
Women will do anything humanly possible to win them. It will also motivate our women to work hard and go for what they want in life than just rely on handouts from men .” said the Langata Member of Parliament.