Akinyi Kaula postponed the “American Dream,” dropped out of her nursing degree studies and flew back to her homeland of Kenya — only to end up in a polygamous marriage. Now, her story is igniting online debate in Africa. The debate over polygamy, Christianity and Western values continues as many men ponder whether to wed multiple wives.
Read MoreIn May 2024, a Catholic parish in Kiambu County, near the Kenyan capital Nairobi, made national headlines when it allowed a polygamous man to marry one of his wives in a church ceremony. The marriage ceremony happened while the other wife sat in the pews. The church agreed that Ndachu had to write a will dividing his estate equitably between both families.
Read MoreSouth Africa’s leading religious and cultural groups are pushing back hard against a proposed marriage law — originally aimed at combating discrimination against religious minorities — that would also allow South African women to have more than one husband at one time. Since 91% of South Africa’s 16,000 marriage officers are faith leaders, the voice of religious leaders carries a lot of weight on the issue.
Read More
